A Superhero's Destiny
by tsukibeam
Summary: Tired of life as princess and her looming destiny, Rini moves to Hercule City for a chance at a normal life. Unfortunately, that's quickly interrupted when the Great Saiyaman appears on the scene. Before she knows it, she's Saiyaman's reluctant mentor. Add new friends, secrets, self discovery, and a strange new threat to the city and Rini is soon in a world of...fun.
1. A New Comer

Hello~

*ahem* Okay, I have no idea where this came from. It was sort of a word vomit in the summer and before I knew it I had almost 60k words. I'm revising and rewriting now and the story is changing from the original but the essence is still the same (Rini teaches Gohan how to be a dignified super hero). I'm posting this chapter now just as a test run, to see what kind of reception comes my way.

Some things you should know: This is obviously AU. Crystal Tokyo and the Neo monarchy exists but it's only a century after the end of Sailor Moon, not centuries later. The Silver Crystal's immortal powers only affect the Sailor Scouts/royal family. Rini is seventeen, not 900 years old because if there's romance in this story, I don't want a creepy age gap. Yes, the Sailor Scouts were around the Android Saga and no, I'm not going to write it. But it happened and they are a part of the world.

Finally, about me: I live and work in Japan. Uh..that's about it.

Anyway, let me know what you think. Enjooy~

* * *

Tired of her life as princess and her looming destiny, Rini moves to Hercule City for a chance at a normal life. Unfortunately, that's quickly interrupted when the Great Saiyaman appears on the scene. She's drawn back into the world of superheroes and before she knows it, she's Saiyaman's reluctant mentor. Add new friends, secrets, self discovery, and a strange new threat to the city and Rini is soon in a world of...fun.

* * *

Orange Star High School was unassuming in the early autumn sun, idyllic with its groomed shrubbery and laughing students. It was how it should be. The world had been at peace for almost a hundred years, thanks to Queen Serenity and King Endymion, and it showed. Sure, there had been a few hiccups now and then, but nothing that couldn't quickly be resolved.

Rini yawned as she walked past the fountain, the water glimmering. A few female students, more awake than she was at the moment, brushed past her, talking excitedly about something. Something about a mysterious boy? Rini shook her head, her long pink hair swaying with the motion, and yawned again. It was too early for this.

Rini walked in a daze through the school, going to her locker first and then class, all the while dodging her classmates as they related a story-the same story, she finally realized as she walked into her classroom, that everyone was telling. Something about a bank, and a weird guy and...oh.

Rini took her seat, setting down her white bag beside her, and dug out a textbook and started reading, effectively shutting out the rest of the gossip around her. It wasn't that she had no interest in the the gossip it was that...she had no interest in the gossip. Or rather, the gossip _subject_. A superhero. Rini almost snorted.

Call her jaded, but being the daughter of the moon queen and earth king _and_ a member of the planet's team of guardians had kind of desensitized her to the novelty.

Besides, she had heard of Earth's regular superheroes-they popped up at tournaments every once in awhile-and they were less than impressive, especially one certain...gentleman for whom the city had been renamed…

"It was totally amazing," a bright voice gushed; Rini looked up to see Erasa animatedly talking to her friend, Videl.

"You don't say," Videl responded dryly, a scowl pulling at her pretty features. She and Rini made eye contact and she frowned slightly; Rini returned to her book.

"Yeah, I mean, stopping a bank robbery with his bare hands..." Erasa continued related the story that she probably wasn't even there to see, bumping into Rini's seat as she wedged herself past. She didn't pause for breath as she plopped down in the empty seat beside Rini. "...Doing the light things _and_ flying away! He just totally disappeared, it's so mysterious!"

Rini didn't want to take the bait but...not many people could fly. Those that could kept to themselves, which was fine with her as long as they didn't try to blow up the planet (see: hiccups). Rini peeked over at Erasa and Videl; Videl was still scowling off into space or anyone who dared to look at her. Erasa was completely oblivious and kept gabbing away.

The image brought to mind another pair of friends, one a bubbly blonde and the other raven haired and grumpy. Her mother and Rei had come along way since their junior high school days but Rini couldn't help but be reminded of their dynamic when she watched Videl and Erasa. The thought brought the smallest of smiles to Rini's face.

"Can we help you?" Videl's sharp violet eyes cut toward Rini in the smallest of glares.

Oh, Videl. Fearless, heroic Videl, who saved the city as often as normal people did laundry. She was also as sweet as snake poison if she chose to be, which she did toward Rini for reasons the pink haired girl chose to ignore for their pettiness.

Videl's eyes searched Rini, flicking subtly over her features. Rini's smile disappeared and she cocked her head to the side and took on Videl's suspicious assessment.

"Just thinking about how history repeats itself," Rini said, before nodding at Erasa in greeting.

The blonde haired girl beamed and punched Videl's arm lightly as the other girl opened her mouth to no doubt demand Rini's meaning. "Sheesh, Videl, lighten up! Maybe she just liked the story. Hey Rini-how was Crystal Tokyo?"

Rini let out a genuine smile. She may have had a strained and difficult relationship-if you could call it that-with Videl, but it seemed Erasa didn't have a bone in her body that let her be anything but agreeable and welcoming.

"Same as ever," Rini replied. She would have said more, but a shadow fell on her, completely snagging Erasa's attention away as she look to what Rini realized was a person standing behind her.

Rini turned and blinked at the unfamiliar face of a confused looking boy. He blinked his black eyes down at her and opened his mouth, looking from her to Erasa, and back.

"Can I help you," Rini said, echoing Videl's words.

"Uh." He sounded hesitant and Rini's brow flicked upward. "I think you're in my seat?"

Rini squinted. " _Your_ seat?"

She looked him over; new student, obviously. Weird fashion sense-tiny black vests were a little twentieth century-but his hair was cute, the way his short black locks stood on end. That brought her back to the matter at hand. _Cute_ new student. She turned back to Erasa who was predictably staring at him with stars in her eyes.

"You gave away my seat?" She sounded vaguely betrayed.

Erasa had the grace to flush a pretty shade of pink and look a smidge guilty. "Oh, well, I guess I did."

Rini pursed her lips. "Thanks for the loyalty."

They weren't great friends. Their friendliness was a by-product of the preference for these two seats in this row and Erasa's bubbly personality. But still, it would have been nice to not be dropped the second she leaves for a week.

The boy looked a little guilty too, which in turn made _Rini_ feel bad. She almost stood because after all, it was only a seat and he was the new kid. He needed guidance and a gentle hand to wade the waters of this school, not some jerk classmate with an unhealthy attachment to an arbitrary seating preference. Besides, it seemed like Videl was in a _mood_ and she didn't feel like dealing what that today.

Rini smiled up at the boy and started to gather her things, while he looked around the classroom that was filling up by the second. Erasa beat them to it by turning to the bespeckled boy next to Videl and pinning him with a sweet smile.

"Hey, I need your seat, do you mind?"

He looked like he most certainly did mind, but between Erasa's fluttering lashes, and Videl's hard stare-mostly the stare-he sighed and gathered his things. "You owe me," he said grumpily.

Erasa beamed and stood, grabbing the new kid's hand over Rini's head and pulling him into her seat. There was no mention of what their other friend, Sharpner, would do whenever he showed up, though Rini wasn't complaining if he was forced to sit else where...

"There," she said proudly, gripping New Kid's-who looked dazed by this turn of events-shoulders. "All fixed. And now you can meet Rini. Rini, this is Gohan, he's just about as smart as you. Two new geniuses-what are the odds?" She sat on Videl's other side, in the newly vacated seat.

Rini coughed at Erasa's flattery but gave Gohan an amiable smile, despite the whole seating drama. She meant to go back to her textbook to distract her until the class started, but Gohan spoke up.

"You're new," he asked, voice a pleasant tenor now that he wasn't nervous.

"When school started a month ago, yes," Rini answered. "Where are you from?"

Before Gohan could open his mouth to answer, Erasa jumped in for him. "Gohan's from a mountain district five hundred miles away. It's a crazy long commute but I guess it's not as far as where Rini's from."

Five hundred...how did he get here? Rini looked disbelievingly at Gohan. "Do you just get home and sleep for two hours? When do you do your homework?"

"Oh, you know, on the way...home. Actually I'm, uh, staying at a friend's in West City," Gohan said with a nervous laugh, as if a two hour commute instead was no big deal. He scratched the back of his head before shaking it. "What about you, where are you from?"

"Crystal Tokyo."

Gohan's mouth gaped open and he blinked several times. "What? But that's on the other side of the world. Do you also commute?"

Rini's mouth twitched into a small smile. "It's about ten hours away by plane, so no, I live here."

"Rini's almost as mystery as you, Gohan," Erasa said with a wink. "She sort of keeps to herself. She's probably as smart as you. Her dad's a doctor and her mom works in fashion."

Rini coughed because _technically_ that was true. It was just not their _present_ occupation. Still, once a doctor alway a doctor, even if one was king, right?

"Thank you, Erasa, for over-sharing," Rini said once her throat was sufficiently cleared. Videl's eyes slid over Rini, as if trying to find something she missed.

Rini wasn't worried; her alibi was iron clad with fake documents and news reports put out by Sailor Mercury to protect her school identity. She was Serena "Rini" Shields, daughter of a well respected doctor and fashion designer in Crystal Tokyo, the internet said, and nothing more.

Erasa nodded, like she was proud of her introduction, but that was only because she was oblivious of Rini's sarcastic tone. "Anyway, guys," she addressed them and Videl as a group, "have you heard of the Great Saiyaman? I was just telling Videl _all_ about him but he's so mysterious, so not much is known about him except that he can _fly_ and do those light tricks from the Cell Games, isn't that _amazing_? But he's not as cool _or_ mysterious as the Golden Fighter. He kind has these goofy poses and costume but _still_. I bet he's really handsome under his tunic, with a lot of muscles and…"

Videl had flopped her head in her crossed arms in the middle of Erasa's impassioned speech while Gohan slumped lower and lower in his seat, burying his head in a textbook he pulled out of his bag.

Apparently they had heard the story before. Rini was again skeptical so she muttered under her breath, "can we forever ban the word _mysterious_?"

Beside her, Gohan snorted, which made Rini smile. Videl shot them a short glare.

"So," Rini said to Gohan, "how was your first week here?"

"Oh, you know," Gohan said with a small chuckled, and stratching the back of his head. "Just getting used to being in actual classes. I was homeschooled before this so everything is new."

Erasa's hand came out and smacked Gohan's shoulder. "Don't be so modest! Gohan is a _pro_ at baseball. He jumped twenty feet in the air to catch the ball on his first day," she happily supplied, oblivious to Gohan's red faced cringe.

"It's also quite the coincidence that he showed up on the same says as the Golden Fighter _and_ the Great Saiyaman," Videl ground out, staring at Gohan as if willing herself to see something more.

"Ah." Rini put the pieces together. "She thinks you're one of them."

"Someone said the Golden Fighter was wearing the same things as Gohan," Videl said, not looking at them anymore, but staring off as if going through a list in her head. "And then another guy shows up in a _costume_ with the same tricks as him."

Rini looked Gohan up and down again. The vest was truly tragic but, "a lot of people wear white shirts and red pants. Are you going to be suspicious of them too?"

"Saiyaman shouldn't interfere, he's not a police officer," Videl yelled, as if her contempt for superheroes wasn't getting through.

"Neither are you," Rini said carefully.

The room around them was deathly quiet, the tension thick. Gohan was still and Erasa looked dismayed. Rini and Videl glared at each other.

"Aw, ease up, Rini," Sharpner called out from the front, where he had apparently shown up at last. "She's Hercule's daughter, she can do what she wants."

Being the offspring of the biggest fraud in history didn't entitle Videl to anything. Maybe Videl knew this because her cheeks flushed pink and she looked away. Rini would have felt guilty if she hadn't been so annoyed by everything. She had been gone a week and _this_ is what she came back to?

Rini crossed her arms again and turned away, staring hard at the blackboard. Conversation over. And just in time, too. The young teacher strolled in and set down her stack of textbooks and greeted everyone with sparkling eyes.

"Did you hear about the city's new superhero," she said with a breathless wonder.

Rini groaned and was even more annoyed when everyone-excluding Gohan-threw out their piece of gossip. She went back to her textbook, tuning everyone out. She gave it a week. A week for the Saiyaman thing to blow over and for things to go back to normal. For everyone to be as over this whole _superhero_ thing as she was.

* * *

Thankfully, despite the annoying start of first period, the day mellowed out. Gohan and Rini took notes; the fact that the former even bothered surprised Rini because the rest of the class usually dozed off or did anything to avoid any semblance of a productive school day.

Rini was relieved when their chemistry teacher replaced Rini's lazy partner with Gohan, claiming it would be good for the both of their academic careers. She was also relieved when no other teachers brought up the Great Saiyaman. The relief was temporary, however, when the so-called superhero popped up in Rini's thoughts-and stayed there.

Rini ate lunch out in the school's courtyard alone, back against a tall oak tree that bordered the edge of the yard. A soft breeze caressed her and she heaved a sigh before taking another bite of her sandwich.

A new superhero. Why did it bother her so much? She told herself it was the same, that this hero would be the same wanna-be crime fighter as the rest of them. She had no interest in that; she heard enough of that about Hercule, supposed savior of the world.

Rini snorted. _Savior_. Anyone with even an ounce of ki training could see plain as day that Hercule was _not_ a fighter capable of defeating Cell.

Not...that she had been there to see the Games…

She had only heard about them after her return from the past, how a group of mysterious fighters stepped up to Cell's challenge for a fight, how many people had died between his appearance and the Games. Many people, including some of the Sailor Scouts. They had tried to defeat the androids but their power wasn't enough, and Rini hadn't been there with the pink crystal to stop them herself.

But still, she knew the Sailor Scouts. If they weren't able to defeat an enemy then the power difference must have great. Not Hercule great. Maybe...a boy with golden hair, who was able to fly and blast ki from his hands…

Out of all the rumors flying around that day, Rini was more interested in the Golden Fighter rumors, though she hated to admit it. She had never met the boy who finally killed Cell, none of the Sailor Scouts had. In the aftermath of the Games, the fighters had disappeared, used the Dragon Balls to resurrect the android's victims-and Hercule stepped up to claim victory.

Rini had at least been there for _that_ , the stupid ceremony that her parents held for the phoney champion. She remembered having a hard time keeping a straight face through it all, how her mother gently lectured her on keeping up the facade.

The world did not need to know, she said. They were content to live in ignorance, so long as they did not have to live in fear. They accepted the Sailor Scouts for their healing powers. A boy, indeed, an entire group of super strength warriors, capable of that kind of destruction, would only be feared, and hunted. If they were content in not receiving recognition, they would be granted it and allowed to live normally with the same peace as the rest of the world.

A great lesson from Queen Serenity, Rini thought. Yet it didn't make the guilt that resided within her lessen. She wasn't there, and people had died.

Not that it would have mattered. Even if she were there with the pink crystal, she doubted she could get it to work. Rini slipped her hand into her sub-space pocket and felt for her transformation brooch. If it weren't for the little spark of power she got whenever she touched the brooch, she would have thought the crystal was powerless. It hadn't done more than spark since the time she got it.

Her mother wasn't much help in the matter, either. The queen had experience in magical crystals but that was during times of duress and great need. Rini hadn't had a near death experience in seven years so Great Needs were a bit sparse these days. And she could only _believe in herself_ for so long before she dissolved into tears of frustration.

No wonder the world was descending into chaos; how else could it be with her, the planet's star seed, unable to get her act together?

Rini groaned and leaned her head against the rough bark of the tree. This was typical; she had finally escaped her life in Crystal Tokyo, successfully avoided all of her responsibilities for the next year-nine months and twenty-six days, her brain helpfully supplied-and _this_ was happening.

But of course, it didn't have to as long as her brain cooperated and avoided thinking about the topic with the same diligence it was using to avoid her heritage. A normal school year-just one year of normal teenage life where she could be completely ordinary, that was all she desired in the universe.

A normal teenage life plus one week every month of Sailor Scout training and exercises, her brain helpfully reminded her again, like the traitor it was.

Rini sighed and looked around the school courtyard. Everywhere she looked, her classmates sat in groups small or large, all laughing or at least looking content in their lives. She swallowed and tried to remember the last time she had felt so normal but struggled to come up with the single instance in the past year.

Try as she might, desire as she did, her ideal teenage life, the one Serena and the others had-laughing trips to the arcade, boy drama, celebrity crushes-seemed out of her grasp. She had a deadline-nine months and twenty-six days-and the looming reminder made her uncharacteristically tense and aloof.

Rini didn't know how to let go and truly be unburdened. She wasn't sure if it was possible, there were so many secrets involved with her life coupled with the simple fact that she would have to leave it all behind in the end.

But, when a pair of black ballet flats stopped in front of her, Rini looked up and blinked at Erasa. The blond girl beamed down at Rini like a second sun. "Want to get milkshakes at the arcade with us after school," she asked. "Since you're Gohan's lab partner-you should get to know him, and you can finally tell me _all about_ Crystal Tokyo."

Rini's mouth popped open at the invitation and she looked past Erasa to where Videl, Gohan and Sharpner were still eating lunch and pretending they weren't waiting for Rini's response. Well, the boys were; Videl's sharp violet eyes were clearly pinned on Rini.

The pink haired princess looked back up at Erasa and swallowed. Tense, aloof, burdened…normal. This...was it. This was how she became normal again. With a trip to an arcade for a milkshake. It truly was amazing how history seemed to repeat itself.

Rini smiled up at Erasa and nodded. What could go wrong?


	2. Milkshake Therapy

Hello~

Okay, wow, I didn't expect the response I got for this story but I deeply appreciate it and your support. Thanks for reading and reviewing. I'm going to continue on with this, though I'm not sure about a regular update schedule. I've got a ton of material to work with, it's just a matter of squeezing out the story I want to tell and polishing it.

Anyway, here's chapter two. It was a bit tricky to figure out the group's dynamic and they're still figuring it out as well, but hopefully it's coming along well. Please enjoy, and let me know what you think!

* * *

The problem with accepting Erasa's arcade invitation was that Rini then had to endure Videl's cold stares the rest of the day. Sharpner was still sitting in the front and Rini was sorely tempted to ask for a trade to get away from the violet eyed fighter.

The temptation to cancel on Erasa was even greater, and she found herself unable to concentrate in class at the prospect of _hanging out_ with her classmates.

What had once been a joy in her younger days-going to the arcade with Serena and the Sailor Scouts-was now...daunting. Did she even _remember_ how to be a normal seventeen year old?

"Is it just me," Gohan whispered beside her; Rini flicked her eyes away from their elderly math teacher and toward him. "Or does Videl _really_ not like you?"

Rini almost snorted but held it in as she peeked a glance at Videl-who was, predictably, side-eyeing the two. "It's not your imagination. She thinks it's awfully convenient that the moon princess stepped out of public life the same time I came to this school."

It was scary just how on-the-nose Videl was. Just as it was typical, Rini thought, that she landed in school with Videl Hercule, aka, the nosiest girl on the planet.

"So, er, _are_ you the princess, then?" Gohan's voice held some doubt as to the answer to that question and for that Rini liked him even more.

Rini shook her head. "Just a normal highschool girl." Nevermind that the previous evening had seen her in a white gown dining with the King and Queen as servants addressed her as _Your Highness_. Rini coughed.

"It's _odd_ ," Videl hissed from beside Gohan, "that the newspapers don't know much about your family."

"That's because _some_ families don't run to the media at every opportunity," Rini hissed back. "You don't know much about the Briefs family either, you know."

Videl, face flushed a bit, turned fully on Rini while Gohan went into a coughing fit and shrank away. "With all the strange things happening in that compound, if I ever had an opportunity to learn about them, I _will_."

Rini believed her; it was hard not to with the absolute determination blazing in her eyes. Rini shrugged. "Fine. At least it'll get you off my back."

Videl glared but Erasa nudged her friend. "Don't even think about scaring poor Rini away," the blond girl stated while she twirled her pink pen.

To her credit, Videl did back off. Gohan was flushed a deep shade of red, probably from his coughing fit and she raised a brow, silently asking if he was all right. He gave a weak smile in confirmation.

And so the day went. Thankfully it wasn't too horribly long after that. But when the last period of the day rolled around, Rini definitely noticed how her palms had started to moisten and her knee wouldn't stay still. She filled two pages of doodles in her notebook in an attempt to stay her nerves but it was no use.

She practically jumped out of her skin when the final bell rang and Erasa was suddenly beside her, clapping a hand on her shoulder. "Ready?"

Rini shook out her hands and nodded; it was now or never.

They all shuffled outside, Sharpner slinging an arm around Erasa when she approached him. Videl pushed past Rini and Gohan, falling alongside the two blondes without a single glance back, which was almost a nice change from the usual scowl.

"Why do I feel like I'm going to a fight," Rini sighed as she adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder.

"She's not so bad," Gohan said, rallying the optimism that Rini couldn't. "I heard her laugh once."

Rini feigned a gasp. "Not possible."

"It's true," Gohan said, and his earnestness caused Rini's lips to tug up into the smallest of smiles.

Once out of their classroom, Erasa turned to Rini and Gohan and clapped her hands together. "Right, so I thought we could go to Round One-I've seen you go a few times and the guy who works there is _so_ cute"

A sigh, long and of great suffering, escaped Sharpner's mouth as he said loudly, and with boredom, "tell me again why we're going to an arcade like total nerds. Gohan is Rini's partner, not mine. No need to make the rest of us come."

"No one's forcing you," Videl grumbled from Erasa's side.

"Whatever, Videl, you don't even want to go."

Videl flung an arm around Erasa. "I'm going in support of Erasa."

"You mean to guard her," Rini spoke up, eyeing how Videl seemed to be just ever so slightly in front of Erasa. "We're not going to kidnap her, you know."

Videl's resulting quirking brow said she didn't put it past her and Gohan.

Rini rolled her eyes and pushed past them, stepping into the sea of eager students rushing home. "Whatever. I'm going to my locker. I'll meet you there."

"You better be there," Erasa called out as Rini squeezed through her classmates. Rini looked back and caught Erasa's doe eyed look.

The small part of Rini that wanted to back out crumbled, and she nodded. Erasa beamed and Rini hurried away, shaking her out hands yet again.

* * *

"RINI," Erasa called out over the arcade's clashing sounds of games, coins, and music. She, Videl, and Gohan were seated in a red leather booth by the window and were already nursing giant milkshakes. Sharpner was draped over the back of another booth, arms resting behind Videl and Erasa's heads. "You came!"

Steeling herself against Videl's scowl, Rini grasped the strap of her bag and took a breath, before walking to the booth. She slid in beside Gohan who gave her a small smile.

The arcade employee, a college student with short clipped hair and a pleasing smile, approached. Rini smiled at up him and he returned it.

"Welcome back, Rini," Ryo said, the simple greeting brimming with sincerity. "Are you in polite company, or do you want the usual?"

Rini's _usual_ was awfully tempting, especially after the afternoon of mental anxiety she had gone through. But she looked at the others' milkshakes and the modest bites they were taking. Gohan had finished his but Erasa and Videl were both still working through theirs. Rini sighed.

"Polite company," she told Ryo, who chuckled but nodded and walked away. "With extra fudge!"

"What does that mean," Videl said, crossing her arms. "Polite company?"

"It means she's a bottomless pit," Erasa jumped in before Rini could say anything else. Rini flushed at the blonde's generous wording and prepared herself for more of Erasa's oversharing. She wasn't disappointed. "I've seen it and I've always been very impressed. There's no way I could eat three milkshakes _and_ a burger _and_ fries in one sitting. How do you do it, Rini?"

Gohan slid curious black eyes to Rini who sank into the booth a little bit. "Can you really eat that much?"

Sharpner snorted and Rini felt his eyes slide over her body; she suppressed a shudder. "I'd like to see her try, there's no way someone as dainty as Rini could eat that much."

Rini sat up at that and glared at Sharpner. " _Dainty_?" She jumped up, bumping the table with her knees; the milkshake glasses rattled and Erasa had to snatch hers to keep it from falling over. "Ryo! The usual-with extra _everything_."

Ryo-who had been putting on the finishing touches of her one lowly milkshake-beamed and gave her a salute of confirmation. Rini sat down and crossed her arms, huffing a hot breath out.

It was quiet for a moment as everyone stared bemusedly at Rini, who bit her lip and found the gray speckled table quite interesting.

" _Sooo_ ," Erasa sang and pushed aside her milkshake, apparently finished with it. "How was Crystal Tokyo, Rini? Did you see any Sailor Scouts? What about the King and Queen? Oh, it must be amazing to live in the same city as them."

Rini's mouth twitched. If only she knew. "Just because I live in the same city as them doesn't mean I know them." Lie, lie, big fat, _lie_.

"Well Videl met them once," Erasa said proudly with a jerk of her thumb toward said fighter. "After her pops defeated Cell. They gave him an award and everything. I wonder if you were there, Rini."

"I had no reason to be there, Erasa," Rini said carefully, ignoring Videl's stare. "It was a closed ceremony and my parents weren't, uh, important enough to be there, so neither was I."

Videl squinted at Rini, though, her eyes moving to her hair and back to her eyes. "I feel like I remember you, though. Someone who looked like you."

"Loads of people have pink hair," Rini said, a hand coming up to touch her waist length hair as if to protect it. " _You_ have violet eyes."

"I know someone with purple hair," Gohan blurted. Rini eagerly turned to him, desperate to get off the topic. Beside, she was supposed to be getting to know him.

" _Really?_ Tell me all about them."

Gohan looked startled to suddenly be in the spotlight but he smiled nervously and scratched the back of his back. "Uh, there's nothing really to say. His mom has blue hair and his dad has black, so I guess it's a mix?"

"Are these the mysterious people you're conveniently staying with in West City," Videl asked.

Rini's red eyes flicked to her. "You really need to stop being so suspicious, it can't be good for you."

Videl _hmph_ 'd and but still stared at Gohan, waiting for an answer.

"Uh, yeah, they are," he gave in. "Bulma, and her son Trunks."

Ryo chose that moment to arrive with her usual order and Rini's eyes lit up at the oodles of chocolate, whipped cream, and sprinkles that adorned the milkshakes. And the _burger_. She eagerly took them, ignoring everyone's shocked faces, and was just about to dig in when Videl's hand slapped the table.

"Bulma!" Her eyes were ablaze with recognition. "Bulma _Briefs_. As in Capsule Corp. There's _no way_ you know them, you have to be lying."

They all turned to Gohan who was now sporting an amazing red flush. Rini put a spoonful of chocolate milkshake in her mouth and waited for what he would say. He was kind of adorable, squirming in his seat, though she felt a touch guilty that he was firmly in the spotlight now.

"They're, uh, family friends," Gohan laughed, more nervously than before. His black eyes slid to the sky, as if mimicking the gods to help him. She decided to throw him a bone.

"So," she said, raising another spoonful of milkshake, "what do you think about Saiyaman?"

" _The Great_ Saiyaman," Gohan shouted suddenly. He blinked. "I mean. He's pretty cool, right?"

"Yeah, if you like losers in tights," Sharpner said.

"He's not a loser," Gohan countered. "He's just trying to help out."

"You weren't so interested in him before," Videl mumbled. No doubt she was still puzzling together Gohan's family ties to notice they had gone into yet another of her hot topics.

Erasa opened her mouth to launch into what she thought just as Rini finally dove into the desserts before her. They were sugary perfection and everything she didn't realize she needed. She was halfway through the second milkshake when she looked up and noticed everyone staring at her with their mouths open.

" _What_ ," she said defensively and went back to it when a police car suddenly blazed down the street, sirens at full screech.

They all watched it; Rini realized there were more sirens in the distance. Videl's radio then crackled to life.

"Attention, all officers on duty," a monotone voice on the other end said, "respond to an apparent bus hijacking in the south-side bus terminal. Be warned that suspects are armed; use extreme caution."

All eyes slid to Videl as she cracked her knuckles and stood. She threw some money onto the table. "Sorry guys, duty calls." And with that, she dashed out the door, Erasa shouting a warning as she did.

"You _know_ ," Gohan coughed, his voice cracking on the second word. "It's getting late and I, uh, need to get back to West City. Homework and all."

Rini swallowed her bite of burger and slid out of the booth to let Gohan out. He did so quickly, with an urgency that hadn't been there before, but before he had a chance to leave, she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"You were in class last week, right?" A quick nod, and then she continued. "Could I see your notes? My old partner was hopeless and I doubt he has any." Gohan nodded again and said something about tomorrow and then he was off.

"That was weird," Erasa serenely commented, plucking the cherry off Rini's last milkshake. The princess didn't begrudge her for it. She looked wilted now that her best friend had left to fight crime.

"He's always weird," Sharpner replied and then stretched, probably to show off his muscles. Rini rolled her eyes. "I'm gonna get to the gym. Gotta maintain this, you know."

Erasa nodded, though Rini could tell she wasn't paying attention. Sharpner looked a little put out but left without a fuss anyway. It was amazing how quickly an atmosphere could go from jovial to sober at a friend's departure. Erasa sighed and pulled out her cell phone, placing it on the table.

It was a ritual, Rini had come to realize. Every time Videl left to help out the police, Erasa's aura quieted and she kept her cell phone out just in case...just in case. The smile was still in place, but worry crept in where it hadn't been before.

"Hey, Ryo," Rini called out; the older boy was cleaning off a glass behind the counter but he perked up at the sound of his name. "Can you turn on the news?" Ryo nodded wordlessly and soon enough, the entire arcade was watching the hijacking.

It looked like any standard hostage situation; barriers of police cars, officers speaking into radio and standing with rifles in position, emergency vehicles at the ready. Erasa watched, eyes wide and her teeth worrying her lip, and Rini cleared her throat.

"I heard there's a vintage Sailor V game," Rini said, jerking her head in its direction. "Can you play?"

"I'm awful at games," Erasa replied.

Rini pushed away her food and stood up. She pulled on Erasa's arm; the blonde gave no resistance and Rini led her toward the various gaming machines. "No time to learn like the present."

Despite the game's age in _this_ present, it was achingly familiar to Rini as she popped a coin into it. Erasa paid half-hearted attention as Rini quickly explained the controls and game objective. If she was grateful for the distraction, she didn't say, but Rini noted how her shoulders relaxed slightly as she began to play.

* * *

Erasa, it turned out, took to video games like a dragon to wishes, and she quickly moved beyond Rini's instruction, taking out the high level scores within the hour. Rini sat eating her third order of fries when Erasa cleared yet another level with a cheer.

That was when the screaming on the news began. Everyone within ear's reach of the TV turned sharply toward and Rini's mouth opened in horror as she saw the news coverage of the bus hijacking. The video feed was shaky and grainy, but there was no mistaking what she saw.

"I repeat," the newscaster said, his voice wavering in his panic, "the bus appears to have lost control and is headed toward the cliffs with hostages and Videl Satan all trapped within."

Erasa looked up from her game, her eyes wide, and she rushed toward the TV. Rini's blood ran ice cold as she watched the bus speed toward the cliff side. Her hand dove into her sub-space pocket and she grasped her transformation brooch, the crystal within humming in greeting.

Her hand tightened around it and it sparked, but she remained frozen as the bus-hostages, Videl, everyone on it-careened off the cliff. Erasa screamed again and Rini's breath hitched, her heart beating so fast she thought it would explode out of her chest.

She let this happen- _she_ let them die- _she_ -

The bus stopped. It hovered. Rini forced a breath in as she squinted at the TV, waiting for the helicopter news feed to show her what was happening.

Buses didn't stop in midair after falling off a cliff. What-

Everyone, including Rini, gasped when at the sight of a red caped man holding up the bus.

"Rini." She vaguely felt Erasa hitting her arm. " _Rini_. He's holding the bus. He's _holding the bus_."

"Yes," Rini replied, because that all her brain would allow her to say.

"It can't be real," Erasa said. Her voice sounded weak, choked, and Rini looked over to see her eyes were silver lined. "It has to be a trick."

"I don't think it is," Rini said, sitting back down in their booth, though she couldn't remember standing.

Erasa gasped again and Rini looked up to see the caped man- _Saiyaman_ , she realized-had put the bus down and its passengers were getting off, Videl included. Erasa rushed over and grabbed her and Videl's things, though a few pens and other miscellanea fell out in her haste.

"I have to go see Videl," Erasa said, her voice frantic and shaking. "I have to make sure she's okay."

Before Rini could help her, before she could find the words to say _Videl was okay_ , Erasa was out the door. Left alone, and despite the news anchor still reporting, despite Ryo and the other arcade patrons and the constant noise of the games, the world felt oddly silent.

The table rattled, and Rini looked down to see her hands shaking; she clasped them into fists and sucked in a breath, forcing it out in a staggered shudder.

What was the worst that could happen, she had thought when Erasa invited her here.

She hadn't imagined that _nothing_ could happen, and that _nothing_ could be the problem. Nothing had happened, and anything that could was solved, but not by her.

It could have gone very, very badly though. Nevermind that it didn't, it _could_ have. And that was her own failing: she had done nothing to help. Any instinct she had to _save the day_ had not surfaced when Videl ran out the glass door. She hadn't even blinked an eye as she let her classmate run toward danger.

Just like when the androids wreaked havoc on their world, she had not been there to help. People could have died today, people _did_ die the last time she wasn't there.

Rini sat in the booth for a long time, until her milkshakes melted into a sugary soup, and her hands finally stopped trembling.


	3. Sailor Mini Moon Returns

Hello~

I have really particular to say about this chapter, other than _here you are_ and sorry for the "short" length; t'was longer but I had to trim because of pacing.

Thanks for reading and reviewing up to this point! Enjoy~

* * *

It took approximately three seconds for the news about Saiyaman and his amazing rescue to spread across the city. It took approximately ten hours for Rini to come out of her guilt ridden daze where she then got approximately two hours of sleep, the screams and images from the news keeping her awake.

Her alarm for school went off far before she was ready but she rolled out of bed like the dutiful zombie student that she was. Her shower or make up didn't take away the exhausted redness of her eyes, however, or the white pallor of her skin. Still, she dragged herself to school, a massive cup of coffee in hand.

Orange Star High School was even worse than the day before. _Everything_ she heard out of _every_ student's mouth was something about Saiyaman.

His super strength, his flying, his rescue of the bus and other hero, Videl.

His dance moves.

Wait, what? Okay, she must have heard that one wrong. Superheroes didn't dance unless under severe youma influence. She would know. She shook her head and continued on into class.

As expected, based on the previous day and her classmates' penchant for gossip, it was in an uproar, and Rini wove through everyone to reach her seat. Videl, Gohan, and Sharpner were already there, whatever seating politics figured out and settled already; Rini's usual seat was open next to Gohan.

Gohan gave her a cheerful little wave as she sat down with a thump of her bag and body on the chair. She gave a half-hearted and very bleary eyed wave back.

"You okay?" Gohan sounded concerned and doubly so when Rini took a giant swig of coffee from her cup and shuddered with a grimace. "Do you even like coffee? Why drink it?"

"For life," Rini wheezed out with a cough. She set the cup to the side and pulled out her notebook and a few pens, fidgeting with them idly. She stared at the front of the class for a second before turning, finally acknowledging the heat of Videl's stare.

If she was fazed by her evening events, she didn't show it. She sat with her usual alert ease; arms crossed, feet propped up on the desk, and eyes training on her and Gohan. She looked the picture of cool city hero, not a dark circle under her eyes, or a hair out of place. While everyone around them passed gossip and rumor back and forth around her-and about her-she remained, not unaware, but uncaring.

Rini wondered if what happened bothered her more than her apparent dislike of Saiyaman. Did she acknowledge that she had been on death's doorstep, if only for a moment?

"Can I help you," Videl said cooly, repeating her words from the previous day.

Rini considered Videl, the image of a cell phone sitting in wait on a table flashing in her mind, and sighed. "I'm glad you're okay."

Videl blinked, shock flickering on her face for only a brief moment, before her mask went back into place. She wordlessly nodded her thanks and slid her eyes elsewhere.

Erasa walked into the classroom. Her excitement at seeing Videl was evident in the way her face lit up and a large smile spread across her face. Videl tensed at seeing her but didn't stop the blonde when she walked up behind her and wrapped her in an embrace.

"Erasa," Videl grumbled, though it was without her usual venom, Rini noted. "We've talked about this." And yet, annoyed as she seemed, Videl did nothing to unlatch Erasa.

Erasa smiled happily and finally let go. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Now Videl _did_ look annoyed; her eye twitched and a frown bloomed on her face. "Everyone keeps saying that but it's _fine_. I got _rescued_ by the Great Saiyaman."

"You seem bothered by that," Gohan observed, his brow furrowed in confusion.

" _Yes_ ," Videl puffed out a hot breath. "He's got some nerve showing up in the first place, pulling all of those stupid _tricks_ , and acting like he's doing us some huge favor. We didn't ask for his help and we don't need it. He's just a liar in a leotard."

Everyone's, the entire class, brows rose steadily rose to their hair line as Videl continued her rant in length. Gohan seemed a little pale now, but that might have been because Videl was now threatening bodily harm to Saiyaman ("I swear, if I ever see him again, I'm gonna knock that helmet right off his head-then we'll see who he _really_ is. I mean, who does he think he is, swooping in like that?").

"Uh, Videl," Gohan coughed delicately. "He _did_ save your life. And everyone on the bus."

"I don't care!" Videl threw her arms up in a huff.

"Yeah, but," Rini stressed, "you could have _died_."

"And then where would the city be," Eraza continued, her voice soft, and slightly sad.

It _was_ sad, Rini thought, to have more pride than regard for your own life. She was sure the city would be all right, despite Erasa's attempt to make Videl feel important, but Videl's loss of life wasn't something she wanted it to suffer.

Videl chewed on the inside of her lip and the group was silent for several moments before Videl huffed out a short breath. "Okay, okay, fine. I'm glad to see you, too."

And then Erasa delivered a swift punch to Videl's arm. The black haired fighter yelped in pain and swirled on the blonde, outrage clear in her eyes.

"What was _that_ for?"

"For making me worry," Erasa pouted as she took her seat. "Thank _goodness_ for the Great Saiyaman."

Rini snorted and beside her, Gohan beamed into his textbook.

* * *

"Did you know," Erasa said as she plopped down onto the grass next to Rini at lunch, "that Saiyaman was spotted flying over the city this morning? Do you think he's patrolling for crime?"

Rini, who had been sitting alone under her usual tree in the school's courtyard and wondering what she could do when winter arrived, jumped at Erasa's sudden appearance.

"Forget Saiyaman," Sharpner said as he too as under the tree, lunch in hand. "I want to know how Rini eats as much as she does. It's not ladylike."

"Am _I_ not ladylike then," Videl's sharp voice cut through them. She glared at Sharpner who smirked.

"With those muscles? Not a chance."

"You know, women can be strong _and_ graceful," Gohan said calmly, taking the open spot beside Rini.

Rini blinked rapidly for several moments before swallowing the bite of sandwich that had uncomfortably been sitting in her mouth when everyone arrived. She cleared her throat and pointed at Gohan.

"Okay, one, thanks for that, Gohan, let's be friends forever." Gohan sent her a large smile. Rini returned it and looked at everyone else. " _Two_ , what are you guys doing?"

"Being forced to play nice," Videl rolled her eyes, but for once she looked...pleasant. That was a welcome change.

"Do you really need a good reason to have lunch with a hot girl?" Sharpner flashed Rini what might have been a handsome smile but Rini squinted at him and how he subtly flexed a few muscles, and rolled her eyes.

"You wanted my chemistry notes," Gohan said as he produced a file of paper from his bag. Rini's eyes lit up and she made grabby hands for it, hugging the precious notes to her chest.

"You know what _I_ want to know," Videl said loudly. "More about Gohan's connection to the Briefs family." She turned pointedly to Gohan who blanched and looked away.

"We're just family friends," Gohan repeated his words from yesterday. "My dad knew Bulma when he was a kid."

"Yeah, but-"

"My, uh, _grandmother_ was friends with Minako Aino when she was young," Rini interrupted Videl, who glared. "It's almost, like, famous people still do normal things and make friends."

Gohan sent Rini the smallest of grateful smiles, though Rini was too busy staring down Videl return it. Erasa seemed to have processed what Rini said and let out a huge squeal.

"Your grandmother knew _Minako Aino_?" She practically had heart shaped eyes as she took a breath, probably to demand Rini tell her all about it.

Rini sensed the troubled waters ahead and naturally deflected. "So, hey, Saiyaman. Let's talk about him."

Sharpner snorted. "Let's not. He really is just a loser. You saw his dancing, right?"

There it was again. Rini frowned. "Dance moves?"

"Oh my gosh, you don't _know_?" Erasa, looking shocked at Rini's revelation, dove for her purse and dug out her phone. "They're _really_ funny but it's kind of cute in an embarrassing way. They're going viral."

"They aren't _that_ bad," a red faced Gohan blurted, eyes wide as he watched Erasa search around for something.

"It's the worst thing to happen to this city in a long time," Sharpner said, like it was a well known fact.

Rini put a hand on Gohan's shoulder for support as she leaned in to get a better look at Erasa's phone screen. She had pulled up a clip from the newscast and sure enough, The Great Saiyaman was on screen. Rini's eyes widened as she watched him strike a few poses and…

Well, that was all she saw because she was soon choking on her own laughter.

"HAHAHA, what," she gasped between laughter, " _what_ is _that_?"

Erasa shook her head piteously. "I know, right? And he has such potential."

"Hey, he probably worked _really_ hard on that," Gohan exclaimed over Rini's laughter. "Maybe hero speeches don't come naturally to some people."

"Yeah but," Rini hiccupped. "That was _awful_."

Not that Rini could really talk. When she thought of the corny speeches her mother and father made back in their superhero days, she wanted to sink into the floor and die. _She_ had made the same speeches, even. But...well, at least her's flowed in an appealing way. And she stayed dignified.

She took another peek at Erasa's screen and dissolved into laughter again. "How did I _miss_ this? Is that an auto-tune video?" She snetched the phone and clicked on the screen, snickering during the whole video.

But amused as she was, Rini had to agree with Erasa. He _did_ have potential. Or, at least, the _talent_ to be a great and proper superhero. Presenting himself like this...What a shame. Hilarious, too, but she was ninety percent sure he wouldn't think it was.

"I wonder how he got his powers," Erasa mused over the video's audio. "Do you think he was bitten by a spider? Or fell into some weird radioactive thing?"

Gohan laughed loudly and flushed when they all stared at him.

"They're all tricks, Erasa," Sharpner countered with a look at Videl, who nodded.

"Tell me how you can fake _flying_ a bus to safety," Rini said with a raised brow.

"Ropes and cranes." Sharper and Videl sure looked superior with their knowledge of super powered people.

"How did he _stop_ the bus?" Gohan joined in. "It would take an incredible amount of force to do that, and he didn't damage anything."

Videl squinted at Rini and Gohan. "Do you _actually_ believe he can do all those things-flying, carry buses, light beams-on his own?"

They all looked at her, though Gohan seemed more weary of her answer than interested.

"Yes," Rini said simply. "Besides. The Sailor Scouts exist, why can't he?" Gohan let out a breath and then nodded his agreement.

Videl _hmph'd_ , crossed her arms, and looked away, scowling at something else. Rini and Gohan traded glances and then shrugged. Conversation over.

"Riiiini," Erasa sang, "tell me about Minako Aino. And Crystal Tokyo. And everything else you promised yesterday."

* * *

After a few more very uneventful classes and no arcade invites, despite not finishing telling Erasa _everything_ , Rini was walking home with her bag slung uncomfortably across her back. It was laden with books, most for the subjects she had neglected the night before.

A pang of guilt tugged at her heart.

Alone again, left with her own thoughts, the guilt crept back.

Videl was okay, she told herself as she crossed a busy intersection. Everyone was okay. There was no point in wondering what could have been. A police car went whizzing by but she paid it no mind as she tried to distract her mind, deflecting her guilt onto another topic: Erasa's new found friendship. Sharpner's arrogance. Videl's intensity. Gohan's... _why_ was Videl so interested in him?

Yeah, he was friends with the Briefs family. So what? Her family's famous friends list was practically endless. Rini shook her head. Gohan was nice but ultimately just that.

Now, _Saiyaman_ , on the other hand. Rini wanted to laugh whenever she thought of Videl's suspicion Gohan being the superhero; his ki reading was way too low to do anything like _lift a bus_.

She didn't want to pry, not when her whole existence in the city was based on maintaining her own privacy, but the mystery of Saiyaman was almost too tempting to resist. Especially when she had missed the last group of super strength warriors to pass through.

Like it or not, Erasa's question did intrigue her: how _did_ he get his powers?

An emergency vehicle, a fire truck, blazed past her in a whirl of sirens and horns. Rini paused; didn't another one pass her a few minutes ago? She stared in the direction it went as the sounds of dozens of _other_ sirens met her newly attuned ears.

That's when she smelled the smoke.

Her eyes drifted upwards and widened at the thick plumes of black smoke wafting into the still blue sky.

How had she...had she seriously been _that_ far into her self pity that she didn't notice a skyscraper on _fire_? Or the dozens of whining fire trucks? _Or_ the people now pushing past her and...oh, kami, those were screams.

Rini cursed, and threw herself down the nearest shady alley, running a few blocks through the trash and questionable puddles on the ground. She stopped when she was sure there were no witnesses.

She clutched her heart, breathing deeply for a few moments. She closed her eyes and willed herself to focus, to clear her now spinning mind.

Hercule City was supposed to be a fresh start for her, a chance at normal life. Rescuing people, playing superhero, was the last thing she had wanted.

But she couldn't stand by and watched while people got hurt or worse. What kind of Totally Normal Girl/Future Queen would she be if she did? She had been born into this and...Rini's eyes opened with the grim realization. Her duty did not disappear simply because she pretended _she_ had.

Her hand dove into her sub-space pocket. Her transformation brooch sparked as her hand wrapped around it and was warm, humming with promised power as she whispered the incantation; light exploded around her, momentarily blinding her with the intensity.

When the light cleared, Sailor Mini Moon look up at the side of the tall brick apartment building beside her and jumped.


	4. Blazing Glory

The fire was on the east side of the city, in the corporate district. The building blazed like a sunset over the horizon and Mini Moon jumped from roof to roof towards it. Below her, sirens screeched, silencing the screams of fleeing bystanders.

The air around her churned and she jumped to the next roof, looking away from the burning building as she did. Videl sat in her jetcopter, hovering above the other buildings, and right in front of Mini Moon.

Mini Moon yelped and hit the metal aircraft with a loud bang and wince. This is what she got for not flying, she thought as she swung her hand up and grabbed the landing bar. She hoisted herself up and into the passenger seat.

Videl whipped her head around and screamed as she beheld the pink uniformed Sailor Scout wheezing and holding her side in her jetcopter.

"A little warning next time," Mini Moon grunted. So much for a graceful return. Of course she'd get hit by a _jetcopter_ , by Videl no less.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU," Videl yelled, her body rising as she tried to spin fully toward Mini Moon.

" _Don't crash_ ," Mini Moon yelled back, reaching for the controls. Videl beat her to it, grabbing the controls with force, causing the jetcopter to jerk and narrowly miss hitting a building.

" _Who. Are. You._ " Videl growled as she piloted the jetcopter toward the fire.

"Sailor Mini Moon." She stuck her hand out. "Champion of love and justice."

Videl blinked and coolly ignored her hand. Mini Moon let it drop. "Never heard of you."

"Ouch. That hurt more than this hunk of metal."

"Well no one invited you here," Videl snapped.

"Too bad," Mini Moon countered dryly.

Videl turned the jetcopter a bit harder than was necessary, jaw clenched as she did, though any sign of annoyance vanished as the inflamed building came fully into view. Videl cursed under her breath and Mini Moon silently nodded in agreement.

Even from this safe distance, Mini Moon could feel the heat of the flames. The air was thick with smoke, black from whatever burned. Ash blew on a phantom wind, scattering and dancing like perverse snowflakes. And below, almost futilely, were dozens of fire trucks, all blasting huge jets of water up towards the flames, barely touching them.

Mini Moon was relieved to see many people rushing out of the building, pulled to safety by rescue workers. Videl flipped a few switches and the jetcopter coasted to a stop above the building. She threw aside her safety harness and stood, bracing a slightly trembling hand on the yellow metal of the aircraft. She looked down at the burning building, beads of sweat from either the heat or fear forming on her brow.

" _What_ are you doing?" Mini Moon also stood. She grabbed Videl's hand, keeping her in place.

Videl threw a glare at the Sailor Scout and tried to rip her hand away, but Mini Moon's grip stood firm. "I have to get down there, they need my help."

"You'd be going on a suicide mission," Mini Moon said. "You don't have any equipment and I doubt you have any professional training. Besides, it's my duty."

" _Your_ duty?" Videl scoffed. "Where were you during all the bank robberies or thefts? I've been cleaning up this city long before _you_ and _Saiyaman_ got here."

Mini Moon took a deep breath, resisting the urge to cough it back out, and shook her head. She looked at the burning building. A runaway bus flashed in her mind. "Things change."

She turned back to Videl. "You risk your life everyday. Stay here."

"Why? Because _you're_ immortal?"

"Basically, yes."

Mini Moon let Videl ponder that statement and turned, considering the building. "Even if you jumped down, which is _stupid_ by the way, what would you do? You'd be trapped."

Videl suddenly pointed at the far side of the building. "There! There's a water tower. If we turn it on, it could temper the fire in the higher floors enough for me to lift people out in this thing."

Mini Moon nodded and then looked down at the people crowding the edge of the roof. And then shook her head. "You'd be rushed, creating more chaos than good. You can't carry everyone at once and they'd hurt themselves to be the first."

"I have to do _something_ , though." There was a desperate plea in her voice and Mini Moon sighed.

Think, _think_. The water tower...the jetcopter...the people trapped…If only there were a way to get everyone out at once...

Mini Moon's head snapped up. "I can teleport."

" _What_?"

"We'll both go down," Mini Moon said slowly, stringing her plan together. "Gather the everyone together; they know and trust you so you can keep them calm. I'll deal with the water tank and teleport us all out when I'm done."

"What about the jetcopter? I can't land that on the roof."

"Encapsulate it."

"In mid-air?"

"Duh."

Mini Moon stood, braced a hand on the frame of the jetcopter, and rallied courage by stringing together several curse words. Videl snorted which made Mini Moon look over her shoulder. The two shared a tentative smile.

"Whatever you do," Mini Moon said, " _don't_ die."

Videl saluted and both girls jumped. There was a small _poof_ of white smoke as the jetcopter was encapsulated.

The building was an inferno filled with lung choking black smoke. Videl landed with a role and immediately was back on her feet and running toward the trapped building survivors.

Mini Moon coughed, and held up an arm to protect her eyes from the embers flying around in the wind.

The building shook, and the roof tiles crumbled slightly under her feet. Mini Moon cursed, and moved away, coughing again as she looked around, spotting the water tank at the opposite side of the roof. She ran toward it.

Several people stood toward the edges of the roof, all coughing, some crying as they pleaded with the rescue crew below to save them. Mini Moon's heart clenched and she rushed toward them.

"Videl Satan is on the west side of the building, go find her," she shouted at them as she continued her sprint, doing her best to ignore the crumbling roof under her feet.

 _It won't collapse, it won't collapse_... _shit_!

This is madness, she thought, as she jumped over the newly formed hole on the roof, debris falling down into a burning office.

Mini Moon's landing help firm, her balance broken only a little by the shaking of the building. She steadied herself and ran the last few feet to the water tank. She assessed its size, walking around it, until she found its lever. It wouldn't be enough to stop the fire completely, but it could at least stay its path of destruction.

She reached hand out, brushing a finger over the metal lever, hissing as the hot metal burned her even through her glove. She reached within herself, at the well of power that pooled in her core and pulled some of it forward, wrapping it around her hands in a shimmering pink shield.

The building gave another shudder and she hurriedly pulled at the lever but it stubbornly stayed closed, not even cracking under her efforts. Mini Moon stopped and glared at the lever and water tank as a whole..

Screw this, she thought, pulling her fist back with a yell, and slamming it right through the metal tank. It stung; metal was _not_ pleasant to punch, but water gushed out around her fist.

She pulled her hand back, shaking the pain out and raising her other hand-

Someone else's hand beat her to it, blasting through the water tank with a loud bang. Mini Moon whipped around and was met with the Great Saiyaman's orange helmet and smirk.

"Hello, there," he said, as if it were a fine summer day and a building _wasn't_ burning down around them.

Mini Moon blinked at him and then, "YOU IDIOT, WHERE WERE YOU?" Yes, she was glad he had showed up and that he possessed all of his helpful powers but...but...

"I was, er, tied up," he, and coughed himself, though something told Mini Moon it wasn't because of the smoke. "And who are you?" He pulled his hand out of the tank and braced both fists on his hips, his cape proudly flapping in the fire fed wind.

Mini Moon gaped at him for a moment, her mind trying to process everything that was before her: fire, collapsing building, weird superhero...

By now, water was gushing around them through the holes they had created, soaking them, and shrouding them in heat induced steam. She grit her teeth and raised her fist, punching the tank again.

"IDIOT," she screamed at him. Another punch. "If people are about to _die_ , you get here sooner!" Another punch. "And you _don't_ make introductions."

"Careful," Saiyaman said as the tank shuddered under her punch. He sounded a little sheepish. "Don't hurt yourself."

"I'm _fine_ ," Mini Moon seethed and shot a finger to the roof's surface. "But there are still people trapped inside, help them." She could feel them, the smallest flickers of ki, barely holding on. She tried not to think of the ki that had already flickered out.

"Right!" Saiyaman nodded and leapt into action. Mini Moon watched him go, scowling at his stupidity, and punched the water tank again, this time halfheartedly.

A moment later, when the roof fire seemed to be abating under the water's force, she sighed. At least he showed up at all. Late help was better than none at all, especially since she herself was late. And her hands were were already healing under her transformation powers.

And yeah, Saiyaman hadn't made a lame speech, so she supposed his appearance could be chalked up to a success. She leapt away from the water tank and shook off the water on her as best she could.

The roof shuddered again she jerked back into action. Doused fire or not, it was nothing if the roof was still damaged. She leapt away from another crumbling section, and again to go to the remaining survivors.

"Every to me," she shouted, refusing to give into another fit of coughs. "Hold hands!" She grabbed the hands of the nearest two people and closed her eyes, focusing on the ground below.

Something exploded, rocking the building; Mini Moon staggered forward, crashing to her knees with the force of it and several people cried out. Mini Moon hissed at the stinging pain in her knees but she stood, opening her eyes.

Videl stood in front of her, her eyes pinched almost closed from the smoke but Mini Moon still caught the look of terror in them. "Get us _out_ of here," she shouted, grabbing Mini Moon's hand.

Mini Moon made sure the other survivors were still around her and took a young woman's hand. Eyes closed, she gathered her energy again and it washed over her and everyone else. As she gave into the the pull of transportation, she felt something flicker far below the building.

Mini Moon's eyes snapped opened and a second later, she and the other survivors were on the ground with the emergency crews rushing toward them despite the shock evident in their eyes.

When a team of rescue workers came over and tried to force their medical expertise on Mini Moon, she brushed them off. Mini Moon's healing powers were kicking in; her fists had long stopped throbbing and her lungs were mostly cleared.

Mini Moon broke away the group and took tentative steps toward the building, ignoring the fire fighters yelling at her to stay back. They didn't stop her though, not after they realized she was a Sailor Scout.

Mini Moon scanned the building, her eyes darting back and forth from the still burning floors. She reached out with her ki, trying to find what she had sensed on the roof. She found Saiyaman easily, his ki like a frazzled beacon.

Her eyes narrowed; that was odd. Why couldn't she get a clear reading on him? His ki was all over the place, like...like the glamour the Sailor Scouts used to hide their identities. Where did he get _that_?

Amazingly, she couldn't sense anyone else in the building. She hoped it was because Saiyaman rescued them all.

But what she sensed...it was neither person nor mysterious superhero. And it was gone.

Mini Moon approached the front entrance of the building-or, what used to be the entrance. It was blown apart, a pile of metal and debris creating a mountain in place of the once polished glass. Mini Moon gaped at it; with this level of destruction, how was the building even still standing?

A hand clamped down on her shoulder. "HEY."

Mini Moon jumped and whirled-and came face to face with Videl, who's squinting eyes were less than a foot from her.

"Who are you?"

Mini Moon backed away. "I already told you."

"No." Videl inched closer, her hands balling into fists. " _Who_ are you? Why are you here?"

"Nice try," Mini Moon said, and then gestured around her. "People were dying, Videl. Why else would I be here?"

"No one asked you to show up."

"True, but maybe I should stick around. Maybe my presence will help the crime rate here," Mini Moon countered, fed up with Videl and everything. "You know, since you're doing such a good job at it yourself."

That was probably below the belt, Mini Moon thought as Videl let out a shriek and dove for Mini Moon. The Sailor Scout dodged her, and the punches and kicks that Videl sent her. Several people ducked out of their way, gasping at the sight before them: Videl Hercule, fighting a Sailor Scout.

"How. DARE. _YOU_ ," Videl screamed at Mini Moon. "You have no idea what I do for this city."

"What's going on?" A rush of air blew into Mini Moon's face as Saiyaman landed a few feet away. Mini Moon glanced over; he was covered in soot, probably in the same way she was, and he looked thoroughly confused.

Mini Moon dodged another one of Videl's punches and rose into the air. Videl fell forward where she had thrown her punch and stumbled a few feet.

"What the hell," Videl yelled, and then gaped when she saw Mini Moon hovering.

Mini Moon pointed at a similarly gaping Saiyaman. "Follow me."

To his credit, Saiyaman followed directions well and nodded without a word. He was airborne a second later and a second after that, Mini Moon shot toward the city outskirts. The urban landscape gave way to green plains and rocky cliffs; Mini Moon picked one at random and descended.

"You know Videl will probably come looking for us," Saiyaman said as he nervously looked behind his shoulder, as if said fighter appear at any second.

"I'll make it quick," Mini Moon said. She took a step forward and stuck out her hand. "Sailor Mini Moon, champion of love and justice."

Saiyaman stared at few seconds; Mini Moon squinted, trying to gauge his reaction under the glass visor of his helmet but it was like she was staring into a void.

"Uh. I'm the, uh, Great...Saiyaman." He visibly gulped but he did at least take her hand and give it a firm shake.

Mini Moon rolled her eyes and poked him. "Geeze, I'm not going to blast your head off. And have some confidence when you say your name."

"Er. Right."

Mini Moon shook her head. "You're a _superhero_ , you can _fly_ and you have _super strength_. Act like it."

Saiyaman nodded and struck a pose, his hands braced on his hips like before. This time, though, his cape hung limp behind him. "I'm the GREAT SaiyaMAN."

Mini Moon raised an unimpressed brow. "Why are you saying it like _that_. Did you just deepen your voice? You're not Batman."

"Who?"

"And don't puff your chest out, you're not an ape."

"Well…"

"And do you _really_ want a cape? What if you get caught in something."

"Says the girl with the super long hair."

"I can't help it," Mini Moon said, stroking said long hair. "It grows fast."

Saiyaman leaned closer and Mini Moon thought he might be squinting at her. "Who exactly _are_ you?"

"Sailor Mini Moon, champion of love and justice," Mini Moon repeated for the third time that day, only this time with a bit of impatience. If she had to say it one more time…

"Why are you mini?"

"I'm the heir."

"Why-"

"OKAY," Mini Moon held up a hand, stopping Saiyaman's words. "My superhero prowess is not in question here. _You_ on the other hand…"

" _What_?"

Mini Moon huffed out a breath of air and shook her head. "We'll get to that later. For now, just be honest. Where you or where you not present at the Cell Games?"

Saiyaman seemed to freeze, yet he still remained in motion. His mouth fell open, and he straightened, but each movement seemed to be carefully executed. His hands fell to his side and his mouth fell into a grim line.

"Why do you need to know?"

Ah, there was his real voice. Or, as real as it would probably get. It sounded slightly distorted, mechanized. Probably the same kind of device used on his ki. Distorted or not, it was a massive improvement than before. He was serious, and it held a promise of power.

"Because," Mini Moon said, looking back toward the city, and he did too. "I sensed something in the burning building." His helmet jerked back toward her and she nodded, pleased he felt it too. "If I'm right in what it is, I need your help to defeat it. If you were at the Cell Games then you must have power."

Saiyaman was silent for a moment before he nodded. "I was there."

Mini Moon felt both relief and curiousness flood her as a million questions jumped to the forefront of her mind.

"What did you sense," he asked.

Mini Moon's mind snapped back to the fire, all the while going back years ago. It was supposed to be impossible. It should have been...but it felt exactly the same. There were things you never forgot in life-the sound of Serena's wails; the smell of a freshly dusted youma; the sight of Tokyo Tower at sunrise, right after a long night of youma hunting...the deadly ki of enemies trying to kill you... _This_ was one of them. She'd never forget it.

Mini Moon looked at Saiyaman. "It felt like Pharaoh 40."

* * *

Hello~

I decided to leave my author's notes at the end of the chapters now so that I can leave my thoughts without spoiling anything. Thanks for reading and reviewing up to this point (shout out to SheikahLover and X3Runner), I hope you liked it!

There have been some questions on how MM and SM would keep their identities hidden and now you basically know. This is AU, so I've added some tech to SM's costume. I basically assume Bulma can build anything (the woman built a time machine, so) and a ki and voice distorter is one thing. Similarly, ~magic~ keeps MM's identity safe in the form of glamour that masks whatever features she needs masking.

I'm also basically playing fast and loose with MM's powers. I believe there's a certain level of raw power she possesses and can access, and the rest is locked in the pink crystal which she has yet to figure out. And yes, she can fly. Why? Because in the hundred years or so since the "end" of Sailor Moon in this timeline, and with the advancement of martial arts, the Sailor Scouts have picked up a few new tricks.

So. There you have it. Let me know what you think and see you next time!


	5. After the Storm

Hello~

A/N coming to you know so as to not take away from the end. This chapter wasn't meant to be written but once I started, I couldn't stop. I had a lot of fun with it and I affectionately nicknamed it "3 fraaanz bonding 3". Anyway, I actually don't have much to say, other than enjoy~

* * *

Rini strode down the street, her shoes kicking up small clouds of ash. The fire had left a fine layer of it over the corporate district. The sun was setting, the sky turning a rosy hue that almost hid the flashing red lights of the fire trucks still gathered around the building.

The fire was almost out, she had heard from a passerby ten minutes prior. It had long been brought under control, thanks to the work of the city's superheroes. Their names had all been said with reverence; Videl Satan, The Great Saiyaman, and _Sailor Mini Moon_.

Rini reached the end of the street and found herself at a corner on Hercule Avenue, home of the city's most prosperous businesses. Probably for not much longer, not with the disaster that had literally exploded onto everything.

Rini leaned against the white concrete building beside her and stared at the scene before her. The entire area around the building was blocked off with yellow police and fire tape, and it seemed like the city's entire rescue force was camped out in front. Most of the fire fighters milled about, as if their presence wasn't needed, yet they still needed to pretend they were doing something.

Rini couldn't sense anyone else in the building, not that it would have mattered. The entire place was a shell of its former corporate finance glory. An empty husk of metal and ash. There was nothing inside, and _nothing_.

She crossed her arms and sighed. She wasn't wrong. She knew what she had felt.

At least Saiyaman did too, so she wasn't crazy. Rini snorted and shook her head as she remembered their little chat on the cliffs.

* * *

 _Saiyaman was quiet for a moment as he processed her words. The air was still warm from the waning summer but Mini Moon still shivered at the prospect of facing her old foe again. But maybe with this stronger ally, it would be defeated quickly._

" _Um," Saiyaman finally spoke up. "Who?"_

 _Mini Moon almost fell over but remembered her dignity. She looked at Saiyaman incredulously._ "Seriously _? Do you know_ nothing _about past centuries? You don't know who Batman is-what about Tuxedo Mask?"_

 _Somehow Saiyaman managed to look clueless under his visor, and he made it worse by shrugging. Mini Moon smacked her forehead._

" _Tuxedo Mask was a superhero in the Twentieth Century. Look him up, take notes."_

" _Uh. Okay."_

" _Anyway." Mini Moon rolled her eyes. "The sum of it is, Pharaoh 40 is a super evil that tried to take over the world, as they do. It would implant seeds into people and feed on their energy, turning them into demons. We defeated_ those _by purifying them, but they're a load of fun getting close to."_

" _So we have to find the seeds?"_

" _Probably. I don't know. I can't sense anything else." Mini Moon let out a huff of hot air. "We're basically waiting for something to happen."_

" _Why don't you call the other Sailor Scouts?"_

 _Good question. It was an action that would surely help but...something Mini Moon couldn't give voice to was opposed to it for reasons she couldn't quite figure out. Involving them...would bring them here. They would get involved in her life here, and she would lose what little she had built for herself._

" _I want to do this on my own," Mini Moon finally said. She looked back at the city. "I'm going back. Do you live in the city?"_

" _I actually live-"_

"You're not supposed to tell me! _Just yes or no."_

" _No."_

 _Mini Moon nodded. It wasn't ideal, but he seemed like he could get to places quickly. "I'll signal you if something happens."_

" _How-"_

" _You'll know."_

* * *

Rini rolled her eyes. At least Videl hadn't showed up. She and her jetcopter were nowhere to be seen, however.

Rini sighed. There wasn't any point standing around here. There were too many people around, and there probably would be for a while. And besides, anything of note might be long gone, consumed by the flames. She turned to go but crashed nose first into a brick wall.

"ARGH!"

"Oh, man, Rini," the brick wall said, sounding very guilty and very familiar. So did the black vest she was staring at.

"Gohan?"

Gohan stepped back; his eyes were wide with worry. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you. Are you okay? Er-what are you doing?"

Rini was poking him. Specifically his chest, and she leaned in closer, as if she could get a better look, despite his shirt and vest.

"What are you made of? Steel?"

"Hey!" Gohan grabbed Rini's hand from where she had grabbed his shirt.

"I have a right to see what broke my nose!"

"No you don't. And your nose isn't broken."

Rini rubbed it with a pout. It had hurt almost as much as punching through the metal water tank. "It sure feels like it. What are you doing here?"

"Uh...just, er, walking around. I left my bag at the arcade," Gohan answered easily, patting his bag from where it was slung on his shoulder. He sniffed the air. "Why do you smell like smoke?"

Rini blanched, but only for a moment before she gestured broadly behind her. " _Becaaause_ , there was a huge fire? Why do _you_?"

Gohan coughed, flushed, and composed himself in less than a second. "I guess the whole city would smell."

Rini needed to get away from here. Not from _Gohan_ , but from the scene of her heroic return, smelling like her secret and probably _looking_ like it as well with all the soot smudging her face. The tall buildings around her felt very small while _she_ felt like the giant among them with a giant ashy sign on her head that screamed _LIAR!_

"Wanna walk me home," she forced out with what she thought was a cheerful voice but probably sounded too loud. She scooted around him and moved forward, glancing over her shoulder to see if Gohan was following; he was, in an awkward shuffle, as he too looked over his shoulder.

"I wonder what happened," Rini said, slowing to walk backwards as she stared at the building.

She hadn't read or seen any news reports but it was obvious to anyone who could see the extent of the damage that there were some casualties. The thought sent a shiver down her spine; if only she had…

No, that wouldn't have helped. Even if she had noticed the fire earlier, whatever caused it in the first place would've still killed those people, and by the looks of everything, the fire had spread fast, faster than she was capable of stepping in.

Rini stopped walked and heaved a great sigh, suddenly feeling very tired.

"You okay?"

"Just the end of the day," Rini offered a small smile. "C'mon, it's this way."

"Wait, Rini!"

Too late, Rini had walked into the intersection; she heard screeching tires and she whipped around to see Gohan reaching for her. Something solid and _heavy_ rammed into her, throwing her several feet. She landed hard on her side, searing pain shooting up from her leg.

" _Ugghh_."

"Rini!"

" _Seriously_ ," she muttered, "first Videl's jetcopter and now _this_?" She lifted her head and sought out the offending object that hit her-a red convertible hover car-and fell back on the pavement as Gohan rushed up.

"Are you okay," Gohan appeared above her, eyes wide as he assessed her.

Rini blinked, and then forced her body to sit up. "I'm fine," she assured Gohan, who reached out to check her side. She pulled it away, and rolled to her hands and knees.

"But-"

" _Fine_ ," Rini grit her teeth, and pushed herself up with a groan. Pain flared in her leg, but it was weaker than before. She felt a tingling around the injury and moved a hand over it. She didn't dare to look down at it and bring attention to it, not if the crystal was healing her and her stupid pink shimmering gave her away.

"I can call an ambulance, or the police," Gohan offered, reaching a hand out for her again. This time she let him steady her, and leaned into him, half for support, and half to hide her healing.

"They have bigger things to worry about," Rini hissed out, and slung an arm around Gohan's shoulders to hold herself up.

Rini looked at the car; the blood drained from her face and she swallowed. There was a Rini-sized dent in the bumper of the car.

"Are you _sure_ ," Gohan started, but followed when she started to limp away, in the opposite direction of the accident as quickly as she could.

"I'm _fine_. I'm tougher than I look."

" _How_ -"

"Hey!"

Rini and Gohan turned to see a buff man with short cropped hair getting out of the driver's side of the car. A tall, slender man with a similar haircut followed, shutting the passenger door with a slam. Rini groaned while the two men took one look at the damage and let out a string of angry curses.

"Maaaybe we _should_ call the police," Gohan said nervously, tugging gently on Rini.

"Let's run," Rini countered.

"But you can't-"

"Hey, sweetheart," the driver shouted at her and sauntered over. "You run, we hunt you. I hope you have money to pay for this."

"Hey _asshole_ ," Rini shouted back, "it's _illegal_ to hit a pedestrian. Try again."

The two men laughed, and the passenger stepped forward, and Rini's eyes narrowed in on his right hand, how it dipped into his jacket and a gun appeared. He smirked and stood with his hands crossed, the street light glinting off the metal of the gun.

"You were saying, _sweetheart_ ," the driver said, withdrawing his own back from the back of his jeans.

Rini became very conscious of Gohan, his extremely sturdy, but fragile body still supporting her. She straightened, moving herself in front of him, but he pushed her aside and blocked _her_.

"Look-she's got a boyfriend, how _sweet_ ," the driver mocked and then looked back at Rini. "Hey, if you want a _real_ man, just come on over. You know, _after_ you pay up."

Rini rolled her eyes. "Ugh. In what universe?"

"Rini," Gohan whispered, "we should run."

"And get you shot? No thank you."

"I'll be-"

But Rini withdrew her hand from where she had shoved it into her sub-space pocket and flashed a small white card at the men.

"You want money," she said, flicking it forward. It sailed through the air, slicing the air and the driver's cheek as it whizzed by. He swore and wiped at the trickle of blood running down his face. "Call that number, it'll be taken care of. C'mon, Gohan."

Rini slipped her hand through his and started to limp away. Gohan, gaping, followed while the driver shouted at his friend to get the card. Rini noted their silence as they read the card, and then the burn of their stares as they watched her lead Gohan around the corner.

* * *

"Rini, stop poking me."

" _Seriously_ , is it steel? Titanium?"

"No."

"Tungsten? Inconel?"

" _No_."

Rini gave Gohan another hard poke, this time with her entire fist. Gohan expertly swatted it away.

"I'm _bored_ ," she pouted, and swatted _his_ hand away. "You won't let me walk, I need to do _something_."

Indeed, about two blocks away from the jerks in the car, Gohan had apparently grown tired of Rini's limping and awkwardly scooped her in his arms-meaning, he stammered permission, she declined, and he did it anyway, almost dropping her when she tried to squirm away. It turned out that Gohan was not only made of some unbendable alloy, but he was also _strong_ and in his arms she stayed.

"You could tell me what was on the card," Gohan suggested.

"Turn right here," she instructed, and then sighed and crossed her arms. "It was my mom's business card."

"You really think she'll take care of it?"

"To keep me and the family out of trouble, sure." Rini stopped her poking, and looked up, up at the night sky and the stars that managed to shine through the city's lights. She sighed, and let her hand drop, palm against Gohan's chest. "Sorry for this."

Gohan stopped walking and he peered down at her. His black eyes were lost in the city's darkness but she felt the kindness that they held and it softened some of the day's blows.

"Sorry for what," he asked.

Rini gestured broadly behind them. "For that, for those idiots and the gun in your face. And for you carrying me-hey, are you okay? Put me down, your arms must be killing you."

Gohan laughed loudly and starting walking again, this time quicker than before. "Nope, I'm fine, don't worry. You're not heavy at all!"

" _I_ know that," Rini huffed. "But still, put me down."

"No."

" _Yes_ ," Rini said and put a finger to Gohan's cheek, forcing him to face the apartment building on their right. "My stop is here."

"Oh." Gohan let out a little chuckle and a second later she was on her feet again, testing her leg. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm tougher than I look," Rini repeated and helped Gohan with the strap of her bag, angling it to hide the healing powers of the crystal. "I'll be good as new with some sleep."

She stepped back, up onto the stoop of her building, and smiled at Gohan. A mask is what it was, to hide the secrets that had piled up over the past two days. He stared up at her and she crossed her arms and leaned against smooth glass of her apartment's vestibule.

"So you have muscles of steel and you're friends with the Briefs," she said. "What other secrets do you have, Gohan Son?"

Gohan's eyes widened and he waved his hands in denial; a corner of Rini's mouth twitched into a smile. "No secrets! Just the normal amount."

They stared at each other and Rini's smile slipped slowly as she felt herself laid bare before his black eyes. It was a calm night, despite the fire and the breeze blowing ash through the city's grid of buildings. She was confident in her secrets after a lifetime of creating and maintaining them but her breath caught under his stare.

"You're lying," Rini said to break the spell that had fallen over them. Gohan blinked, and her smile twitched back to life. "You have secrets. Better hope Videl doesn't find them."

Gohan laughed, and scratched the back of his neck, something she was coming to know as Gohan. "I'm as boring as they come."

"Only because you want to be," Rini said, and looked through her bag for her apartment key. She found it and brandished it at him, waving it like a warning finger. "It's not bad, but I bet you're one of the more interesting people around."

She put the key in the lock and turned it just as his voice floated up behind her.

"I think you're hiding the fact that you're the _most_ interesting."

She turned to him, and regarded him. Erasa had said he was so awkward when he first arrived yet he seemed to gain confidence by the day. A confidence which might have almost gotten him killed just an hour ago.

"Would you really have taken a bullet for me?"

Gohan's nod came quick. "Sure. For any of my friends." There was that confidence again. She found she couldn't dispute it, nor did she have the heart to.

Rini pushed the glass door open, a rush of cool conditioned air creating a breeze behind her and through her pink hair. She offered Gohan a small wave with her other hand. "I'll see you tomorrow, then. Thanks for walking me home."

* * *

Rini leaned against the mirror encircling the elevator and cringed as she caught her reflection.

Sooty hair and face-small smudges that could hide among the shadows of night, at least-and a pale face. The softest of glows limned her leg in white-pink. In the harsh elevator light, she could clearly see each and every lie and secret that fell from her lips and stayed within her heart.

She reached a hand up and placed it over her heart, feeling the loud and quick beats, focusing and grounding herself with each one.

Rini hadn't come to this city to be Sailor Mini Moon. And yet just a month later here she was, saving lives and possibly facing her old enemy. Just two days since making new friends and already she was lying to them.

Saving everyone was worth it, she told herself. She would gladly pay the price of normal life if it meant theirs could continue. But...she looked away from the hollow red eyes that stared at her, at the silver that lined them, and sunk to the floor…

But she hadn't wanted her normal life to end so soon...


	6. Secret Keeper

The news reports were grim the next morning, as was to be expected. At least one hundred people dead or missing, the number still climbing. Rini shut off her TV and crawled into bed early that night, though sleep came much, much later.

So, she hurried to school the next morning, coffee in hand again, and doing her best to ignore the ambulances going to and from the fire site. It wasn't that she didn't care but...she didn't want to care _too much_.

Orange Star High School was, yet again, a madhouse. Rini almost regretted her return as Sailor Mini Moon, if only so the rumor mill could have a day off. It was strange wading through rumors about your alter ego and Rini kept her head down, like she was about to be exposed at any second.

Still, shielding her eyes didn't exactly do anything for her ears, and she heard a lot.

"I heard she teleported over fifty people!"

"She's pretty hot."

"She and Saiyaman would be _perfect_ for each other!"

Rini cringed and turned a deep shade of red at that last one. She had returned for not even twenty-four hours and people were already putting them together? She rushed to class, finding solace in the normal order of things: Erasa's bright smile, Sharpner's cocky one, Videl's scowl…

Gohan, who had been falling asleep in his notebook, perked up when she plopped in her seat. "Hey." He sounded vaguely surprised and slightly tired. "Your leg is better."

Rini straightened in her seat, hand suddenly on her thigh in a protective and shielding grip. "Uh, yeah. I told you, all I needed was a good night's sleep."

Erasa had also perked up and was looking at Rini with slight concern. "Why would your leg hurt?"

"Because she got hit by a car last night," Gohan helpfully supplied before Rini could say anything.

" _What_?" All eyes were now on them at Erasa's shout.

Videl leapt out of her seat, the metal scraping of her chair on the floor startling everyone, and jabbed a finger in Rini's direction. "Hit by a car or _my_ jetcopter?"

" _What_ ," Erasa shouted again.

Rini's mouth went dry as the blood rushed from her head and straight to her hammering heart. Everyone, that is-the entire classroom, was looking between her and Videl now.

"I hit Sailor Mini _Whatever_ with my jetcopter last night." Videl's violet eyes were fierce with her usual determination but there was also frustration, a great deal of it.

"Woah," a brown haired boy in the back called out. "Why would you do that?"

"She's the city's protector," shouted another girl.

Videl rounded on them back, fists clenched, and they shrunk back in their seats. "No, I am! I was here before those caped freaks came along."

"Sailor Mini _Moon_ doesn't have a cape," someone helpfully corrected.

"Uh, Videl," Gohan cut in, which Rini thought brave of him considering Videl looked ready to pummel everyone in the classroom. "I was there when Rini got hit. By the car."

Rini watched Videl silently fume, glaring between her and Gohan. Sharpner put a large hand on Videl's slim shoulder and pushed her back in her seat. "Calm down, Videl, you're doing off the deep end."

Videl whipped around to yell at Sharpner but Rini spoke up.

"No she's not." Everyone turned to her. Rini sighed, and caught Videl's eyes. She was angry, but Rini couldn't blame her. Her instincts told her one thing, and everyone around her told her another, Rini included. It wasn't Rini's fault that Videl's instincts were maddeningly correct but to keep pushing her down like that…

"Saiyaman and Mini Moon are idiots for not recognizing what you do," Rini said carefully as Videl's eyes narrowed. "I heard you helped save the survivors in the fire yesterday. Thank you."

Videl stared, every feature unreadable until her violet eyes softened and she gave a single nod.

"Serenity Shields and Gohan Son?"

All eyes swung to the front of the room, where a bespectacled woman with a tight bun was standing, eyes scanning the classroom. Rini and Gohan exchanged glances and then both raised their hands.

The woman saw them and cleared her throat, reading from a paper grasped in her hand. "Due to a death in your chemistry teacher's family, class is canceled today. In the meantime, please find and complete your study at home materials in the lab. A substitute will be provided for the rest of the week." She lowered her paper, and nodded, job apparently complete, and then left as quickly as she appeared.

The second she disappeared, the class erupted into whispers.

"I wonder who died."

"It had to have been in the fire."

"Her brother was a scientist, right?"

"It can't be him. That was a corporate business office."

"Businesses don't just explode."

"Yeah, it was totally a secret lab or something."

Rini's body whipped around at that, her foot hitting Gohan's leg with the force.

"What's up," Gohan asked with a small amount of concern.

Rini looked at her classmates, all still theorizing, and shook her head. "Nothing…"

Gohan was still watching her, Videl too, so she offered them both her best attempt at a smile and went back to her textbook.

"Rini, have you ever noticed that you have the same name as the princess," Erasa said as tapped her pink pen thoughtfully.

" _I_ have," Videl cut in.

"Well, it's the most popular name in the world, right before _Videl_ ," Rini said dryly, and then sighed in relief when their teacher walked in and silenced the class.

* * *

"I wonder where Sailor Mini Moon came from," Erasa said in the girl's changing room a few periods earlier.

Rini, Erasa, and Videl were some of the last girls to get changed, the others already having gone out to the gym. It was quieter than usual, with none of the other girls' laughter and chatter. Erasa's question felt loud and stark in the emptiness, bouncing off the cold metal lockers. Rini almost tripped while stepping into her gym shorts but managed to stay upright.

"She's Sailor Moon's daughter," Videl answered, pulling on her shirt with a yank that seemed slightly unnecessary. "Or granddaughter? I dunno, only that she appeared back in the twentieth century and then she and Sailor Moon weren't seen again until now. It's weird."

Rini tugged on her running shoes and looked up at Videl with a sly smile. "Maybe she time traveled between now and the twentieth century."

Videl and Erasa looked at Rini. Erasa seemed thrilled at the idea of a time traveling Sailor Scout but Videl looked less than skeptical and shook her head. "Right. Time travel." That was followed by the world's biggest eye roll.

Rini stood and started to walk to the gym door, glancing over at Videl and Erasa when they fell in step beside her. "You never know. The Sailor Scouts are _sooo_ mysterious, who knows what they can do."

"Yeah, but time travel," Videl scoffed, crossing her arms as they joined the boys.

"Time travel isn't real," Sharpner immediately said.

Gohan scooted around him. "Actually, it can be. It's just a matter of physics and the right computer programming. I bet in a few years the technology will be available."

"For regular people," Rini said. "The Sailor Scouts have their magic though."

"If time travel was real," Videl began, "why didn't anyone go back and stop the androids?"

Because Rini had the only Time Key for the portal, she thought with a glance away-

"Maybe someone did," Gohan said. He kicked the ground and didn't look at anyone, but Rini looked over and watched him. "Maybe someone came back and warned the warriors who went to the Cell Games."

Sharpner and Videl burst into laughter and Gohan's cheeks tinted a slight pink. Erasa smiled at Gohan and she looked at Rini but the pink haired princess didn't share it. Instead, a faint memory surfaced from seven years ago of Sailor Pluto, looking affronted and annoyed, muttering about tampering with timelines without permission. Rini never got an answer as to who she was talking about but what if…

"It could happen," Rini said. Gohan looked up. The sun caught something unreadable in his eyes. "You never know."

"You _know_ they're just tricks, right," Videl said with a shake of her head. Sharpner smirked as if to agree with her. "Time travel is impossible and those warriors were a joke. The Sailor Scouts couldn't even take Cell out. _My father_ is the world's savior."

"World savoir of _lying_ ," Rini muttered under her breath as Videl and the others walked toward the baseball pitch where the rest of the class was waiting.

Gohan fell into step beside her and she felt him take a deep breath and then release it. She looked up at him, shielding her eyes from the glaring sun with a hand. His jaw was tight and he wasn't staring at their retreating friends but at the sky with a kind of forlorn look.

"Hey," Rini said, poking him; he let out a small sound of surprise. "I'm a believer in science, too. Time travel _will_ be a thing. In the meantime there's magic. Uh, probably."

Gohan smiled and gave a small shake, this time looking at their classmates. "It's just...they're so certain about things they don't even know about."

Rini squinted at him, her head tilting to the side as she considered him. Confident, indeed. "What do _you_ know, Gohan Son?"

"Uh…," Gohan faltered and stumbled on some lump in the grass. Confidence lost. He shot her a fast smile as he recovered. "Just...you know. Facts. People flying. You can only deny what's in front of your eyes for so long."

"Kind of like how you can say Hercule is amazing so many times before barfing everywhere."

Gohan stopped walking and let out a surprised snicker. Rini did too as she realized that she said those words out loud. She started to turn toward Gohan with a cheeky grin to wave off her comment but he recovered quickly.

"You...don't think he defeated Cell?" His words were careful, almost quiet with...hope? Why would Gohan hold any optimism toward her opinion on the Cell Games?

"...no," Rini finally answered. She looked away, toward Videl and the others, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "The Sailor Scouts couldn't do it, why would Hercule be able to? Those warriors did it, and I think they disappeared because want to live a normal life." She looked at the quiet Gohan, black eyes not leaving her, and shrugged. "Who can blame them?"

Gohan swallowed and looked back up at the sky for a moment. Rini wondered what he saw there but a second later he was smiling down at her again. "I can't."

"Shields! Son!"

They jerked their heads toward the class, all gathered at the baseball pitch and staring at them. The gym teacher waved them over. Rini and Gohan shared one last look before jogging over, Rini quickly sweeping her long hair up into a braid before she could be admonished for it.

* * *

"Gohan, I'm _bored_."

"Study?"

"Ugh."

They-or rather, _Gohan_ -had been studying in the library for about thirty minutes. Those thirty minutes had felt like an eternity for Rini simply because of the sheer novelty of their chemistry class being canceled and yet...they were still studying.

The sunshine and, let's face it, arcade and its milkshakes beckoned her, teasing her through the large windows of the school library. Rini slumped her head into her arms and watched Gohan highlight something in his textbook and then scribble something else in his notebook.

Gym class had been uneventful, which was kind of a let down considering Erasa's sweeping praise over Gohan's athletic ability. Contrary to what she had heard would happen, she hadn't witnessed anything out of the ordinary. Which was a shame, because as far as she could tell, Gohan was a total beefcake and that usually meant some kind of sporty competence.

Rini reached out a single finger slowly and poked Gohan's bicep. "Where'd you get your muscles?" Her voice was muffled by her arms.

The tip of Gohan's pencil snapped and his eyes flicked to hers. "Um. You know. Living in the mountains is, uh, hard."

Rini snorted. "That was such a bad lie."

"Are you working for Videl now?"

"No," Rini titled her head to smile at him, though noting how his shoulders relaxed. "Unlike her, I'll let you keep your secrets. I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't."

"Right, because then I'd be asking where you got your paper throwing skills." He mimicked throwing something in the same way as she did the card last night, perfectly copying the action.

Rini's smile turned mysterious and she sat up and pulled her textbook toward her. "It's cut throat in Crystal Tokyo, everyone wants valedictorian. Gotta stay on your toes."

"That's why you came here, right?"

"Yup," Rini said, flipping to the required page in the textbook. "I wanted a quiet life. At least while I can. Everything changes when I turn eighteen."

"What happens then?"

Rini's hands stilled over her textbook and she clenched them for a moment before relaxing, keenly aware of Gohan's watchful eyes. She didn't like to think about it-she had roughly nine months until _this_ , her normal life, ended. She almost cursed her big mouth; talking with Gohan was so...easy sometimes, even with the secrets they both harbored.

Somehow, Rini found herself sighing and saying, "a promise I made to my parents. I'll, er, join the family business. Officially. Until then, I have to make once a month visits."

"Medicine? Or fashion?" Gohan looked curious enough, though there was also some skepticism in his voice. "Do you even _want_ to do that?"

"Either one," Rini answered quietly. "I haven't decided." Medicine, helping people, managing a fashion empire, ruling the world...close enough.

Gohan opened his mouth again but Rini stretched and yawned loudly, drowning out anything he was about to say.

" _Wow_ , is this period almost over," she asked, looking around the empty library. Who knew where their other chemistry classmates were. She was pretty sure she and Gohan were the only ones in this school dedicated enough to actually study on their own. And she was ninety percent sure everyone else was gossiping over their chemistry's family. She looked back at Gohan. "What do _you_ think happened to Ms. Tsukahara's family member?"

Gohan didn't look impressed. "Nice deflection," he said dryly.

Rini pretended she didn't hear him; her eyes fell on the computers on the other side of the library. She straightened from her slump and narrowed her eyes as she remembered the conversation her classmates had that morning.

" _Yeah, it was totally a secret lab or something."_

Rini's eyes widened as she remembered _another_ secret lab a hundred years in the past. Dr. Tomoe was a scientist, but she was pretty sure his research wasn't meant to be published for any peer review. Therefore, secret. And what better place to hide a secret laboratory than a corporate finance building? It was the most boring place to look for one.

"What's up," Gohan asked as Rini pulled out her small laptop from her bag.

This wouldn't be reported in the official news reports. No government would release reports of an exploding secret lab, not if they wanted to keep citizens calm. This would be classified information, available only to those with special clearance. Fortunately, Rini was the moon princess so clearances came easy to her.

"Nothing," Rini muttered as she typed some things into the special database Mercury, bless her genius heart, had installed. Gohan strained his neck, as if to see over her laptop but the table was too big between them. "Just researching something for class."

"That's a terrible lie," he said, but didn't get up or question her further. She shot him a grateful smile and went back to her laptop.

The United Crystal Earth Allegiance, the creation of her parents and the world's leaders, had several contracted research locations in Hercule City, her search yielded. She quickly found the building from yesterday and scrolled through the businesses that had been in residence. They all carried weighty but vague corporate names: Joy Finance, Soft Networks, Globe Limited...Chronos Industrium.

She clicked on Chronos Industrium and read the brief description of their purpose: chronogenesis, quantum mechanics, theoretical physics...Rini titled her head, a sense of deja vu coming over her. Didn't Dr. Tomoe accidentally bring Pharaoh 40 to their world via space portal created from some unstable theoretical physics experiments?

"Holy crystals," Rini whispered, shutting her laptop slowly, a weird sort of cold numbness washing over her. Gohan's eyes flicked up toward her, silent and questioning. Rini shook her head and plastered on a smile as best she could. Gohan didn't look convinced by it.

Rini shook out her hands and shoved her computer back into her bag and shook out her hands to try and bring some warmth back into them. She stood, knees bumping into the table and knocking their pencils to the floor.

"I could go for a milkshake," she said, shoving everything else in her bag. "Do you want a milkshake? Let's get a milkshake."

Gohan also stood, though he didn't touch his stuff. "What did you find?"

Rini paused, and even her breathing stilled. She glanced at the nearest window, at the high sun, and the city that had no idea what was coming. "Just...this whole _responsibility_ thing. It's freaking me out. I need a milkshake."

She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and Gohan watched for a second, still not moving. His eyes were narrowed and flicked to her bag where her laptop was. Everyone of her secrets was on the tip of her tongue, begging to come out, yet her mouth stayed clamped closed.

Rini took a deep breath and spun around without another word and walked toward the library entrance. She didn't make it even three steps before Gohan's voice stopped her.

"I'd love a milkshake," he said. She heard a rustling of papers and glanced over her shoulder to see Gohan gathering his things.

He was at her side a second later and she expelled a deep breath that she hadn't realized she had been holding. Yes, that was it, deep breaths. She survived Pharaoh 40 once, she could do it again. There was still time to live a normal life. For now, she had milkshakes.

* * *

Hello~

This chapter was so hard to write but it ended up so long whoops (not sorry). Anyway, now that the story has been built up, hopefully we can start getting to the actual action.

So, I've been asked a few questions, one being about the universe this story takes place in and the other about the Buu Saga. First, I'll just restate that this story takes place 100 years _after_ the end of Sailor Moon. I feel like the tech of DBZ is advanced enough (Capsule Corp) to allow for it to be a futuristic world without differing too much. Martial arts, though, have evolved as things tend to do, and new techniques were discovered, though not everyone knows about them. Yes, the moon exists. It's been revived at least once in DBZ so I can only assume it would still be around (plus it's totally there in the anime, so).

As for the Buu Saga...I have some ideas of where _that_ story will go and I'd love to get into it, especially the tournament (does it bother anyone else that Videl/friends never got to see Gohan fight and actually be awesome?). For now though, I'm going to focus on getting this story completed. It still has a ways to go.

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this. Thanks for reading/favoriting/following. Please feel free to review! Thank yoouu :3


	7. Dark Energy

"Do you know how much they are demanding," Luna's cultured but incredulous voice said on the other end of the line. "Your mother is insisting it come out of your inheritance."

Rini rolled her eyes and took another sip of her tea, walking around an old man who had stopped with his dog. "I doubt I'll notice it gone."

"Honestly, Rini, I wish you'd take things like this a bit more seriously," Luna said, long suffering. "It was irresponsible for you to walk away from that accident and now you're pushing that responsibility onto your parents. Is it too much to ask for a little propriety? And what is this about Sailor Mini Moon being spotted?"

Rini sighed and tapped her foot while waiting for the crossing light to turn green. Her red eyes flicked ahead, gauging the distance between here and school. Just a few more minutes before she could beg off and hang up…

"...you refuse to take part in official duties as a Sailor Scout and yet you have no problem galavanting about with a helmed and _unknown_ hero," Luna continued. "Your parents are worried about you; they wish you would talk to them."

Rini spied Erasa ahead and her body relaxed with relief; she walked faster and soon caught up to the blonde who shot Rini a beaming smile. "It was one time. I'm not _gallivanting_. I'm _fine_ , Luna. And if they worry so much, they can call me themselves."

"They have nothing to do with _this_ call," Luna bit out. " _They_ are not the only ones worried about you."

Chastened, Rini slowed to a stop and sighed. "Sorry, Luna. I have to go, though. I promise I'm fine."

Before Luna could voice her protest, Rini ended the call.

"Who was that," Erasa asked with a nod to Rini's phone.

"My mom's, er, secretary," Rini replied. "They're annoyed the people who hit me are collecting." At Erasa's curious look that promised more questioning, Rini quickly changed the subject and asked about the blonde's morning.

It had been a week since the fire and Sailor Mini Moon's return. Fortunately, it had been a silent week with no fires, major crimes or anything nefarious being carried out. It didn't mean Rini had been able to relax, however. She had spent most of her late nights scouting the city, searching for any trace of the energy she felt within the fire, but had come up empty.

To make matters worse, the laboratory had been wiped clean of any trace of testing and research. It had been a shock for Mini Moon to sneak into the otherwise ruined corporate building and find the supposed secret lab utterly bare. The fact that it had survived up to that point, for _anyone_ to clear it out was amazing, but to find it stripped was wildly frustrating.

And while Mini Moon had remained mostly inconspicuous, Saiyaman had made a name for himself as one of the city's true heroes. His efforts to help Videl rid the city of its petty crimes left the black haired girl in a foul mood most of the time.

Rini and Erasa chatted the rest of the way to school, mostly about benign things like shopping and occasionally the city news.

"I wonder where the Golden Fighter went," Erasa pouted as they walked into the school. "Saiyaman is okay but he's not as cute."

"You never know," Rini dryly, "there could be a cute, but punchable face under that helmet."

Rini wasn't the only one scouting the city for Pharaoh Ninety's minions; Saiyaman also helped in the evening, ostensibly taking the shift before her. Their paths often crossed, one of them being the first patrol. Apparently Saiyaman had sensed her energy appearing and came to investigate.

* * *

 _Saiyaman landed on the rooftop silently and with a rush of air in front of her. Mini Moon sighed but nodded in acknowledgement before turning back watch to the city, the buildings and skies golden from the setting sun._

" _Hey what do you think of this," Saiyaman said by way of greeting. Before Mini Moon could say anything, Saiyaman slipped into a pose. "Hiya-hoe, what's the...woe? It is I, the Great Saiyaman, come to-"_

 _Mini Moon held up a hand and raised both brows, deeply unimpressed with his entrance. "Did you just say_ hiya-hoe _? Hiya-_ hoe _._ Hoe!"

 _Saiyaman immediately deflated. "No good? Man, I was trying for a rhyme with the greeting by tying it back to danger?"_

" _Yeah, but_ hiya-hoe _?"_

" _I thought it was catchy."_

" _HIYA-HOE."_

" _You're a hoe," someone down below shouted. Mini Moon pursed her lips and shot Saiyaman a pointed look._

 _Saiyaman also pursed his lips and crossed his arms, looking thoughtful as he tapped his chin. "Why is this so hard? You make it look so easy."_

" _It takes practice," Mini Moon said as she hopped onto the ledge of the roof and crossed her legs. "I was six when I started…" She cringed, thinking about her first attempts at life-saving. "...yeah. Practice."_

" _Hey, cool," Saiyaman perked up, which startled Mini Moon, who almost fell off the ledge. "We were both saving the world at six. Except I was on another planet...that got destroyed...and, uh, most of my friends died…But hey, they came back to life!"_

 _Mini Moon slowly turned her head and blinked in rapid succession for a several moments before she opened her mouth. And closed it. And opened it again, before shaking her head. "I'm not even going to_ begin _to unpack that statement...are you an alien-_ don't answer that _! What are you doing here?"_

" _I felt you transform," Saiyaman replied. "I thought something was happening."_

" _I'm patrolling for monsters," Mini Moon said. "Have you felt something?"_

" _No," Saiyaman said, shaking his head. "But I'll keep an eye out."_

* * *

Rini and Erasa walked into their classroom and took their usual seats. A dozing Gohan startled awake and lifted his head from his textbook at the sounds of Rini settling in for the day. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes but just looking at his tired face and dark circles under his eyes made Rini let out a huge yawn. She reached for her cup of coffee and took a generous swig before wordlessly handing it to Gohan.

"You two need to stop staying up so late," Erasa said with a hint of worry.

Videl looked over at Rini and Gohan who both gave her a small smile. It had been a challenging week; while Videl had warmed up to the two of them, she wasn't exactly all cuddles either. Then again, Rini didn't think she'd _ever_ be a cuddle type.

Videl didn't return the smile, but she didn't scowl either. Progress. "Unless you two aren't _actually_ studying." She narrowed her eyes, but the venom that had been present before didn't reach them.

It was a game of cat and mouse with the three of them. Videl still accused them of having _extra curricular activities_ outside of school and Rini and Gohan still vehemently denied them. It was one of the reasons why she studied with Gohan at the arcade after school every day. It was really just an easy alibi and way to get Videl off her back.

The upside of it all was that she got to know Gohan a little better; he had lived near Mt. Paozu all his life, his parents were martial artists (that was a surprise), and he had a long string of uncle-figures, just like she had a long string of aunt-figures. She also learned his father had passed away seven years ago but he had a deep respect for the man. In return, Rini told him the abridged version (non magical/royal/time traveling) of her own life.

"Please, they're too in love with their books to notice anything else," Sharpner said beside Videl.

Rini and Gohan flushed, both choosing to ignore the implication of his comment (Erasa giggled), but Rini pushed past it and managed an eye roll. "You do realize that _nerds_ rule the world, right? Like, Capsule Corp?"

"Yeah, but sports and entertainment is where the money's at," Sharpner said.

"Don't tell Bulma that," Gohan countered.

"It's still weird that you know her," Erasa said.

"I still don't really believe it," Videl said as she leaned back in her seat and propped her shoes on the desk. She crossed her arms behind her head and watched Gohan. "Are we ever going to meet her? You know, as your friends?"

Rini wasn't so sure she'd call Videl a buddy-buddy friend that she'd want to take home to introduce to her parents, but her question still intrigued the princess. She turned to Gohan and raised her brows in silent question.

Gohan looked on the verge of a crisis and had sat up very straight in his chair. "Uh. Um," be began eloquently, "I mean. Uh. Maybe? She's, uh, busy right now, trying to buy a new research company. I think they were involved in the fire? And their stocks are down so they're incredibly cheap?"

Rini almost slipped off her chair, her amusement with Gohan trying to string together an intelligent (non rambling) answer now gone. "She's trying to buy Chronos Industrium?"

"Er." Gohan turned to her with surprise. "You know about it?"

"I, er, read about it."

Gohan nodded slowly, though Rini sensed a bit of lingering confusion. Luckily their teacher walked in and promptly began class. All day Rini dutifully took notes and did her best not to fall asleep. It was difficult though; she could only devote so much brain energy to topics like infinite geometrics and the rise and mysterious fall of the Red Ribbon Army before wanting to fall straight asleep.

So she used her new friends to her advantage, passing a note to Gohan. _Why do you think they fell?_

Gohan gave Rini an inquiring look before opening the note and descending into a coughing fit. Rini gave him a swift clap on the back. When he recovered he looked thoughtful for a moment and but then shrugged and scribbled something back.

 _Bulma might know_.

Oh, this was _definitely_ better than history. Rini shot Gohan a surprised look which he returned with a shrug. She picked up her pen to scribble back a response like, WHAT?, when a rush of negative energy hit her. Her pen clattered to the desk and she sat up straight, her eyes darting to the large window beside her.

It was a perfectly sunny day, with light gleaming from building windows, small puffs of clouds drifting lazily across the sky. And yet somewhere, blocks away, she felt that evil and powerful presence. And unlike in the fire, it did not fade.

Rini stood, her chair scraping against the floor tile, and ignored her friends' surprised stares. Their ancient history teacher looked up from his notes and fell silent.

"Yes, Ms. Shields?"

"I have to use the restroom," Rini blurted, and didn't wait for an answer; she bolted down the auditorium styled stairs toward the door. Just as she reached the doorknob, she heard Videl's radio crackle to life.

Rini looked over her shoulder as the dispatcher requested officers and met Videl's eyes as she stood. Rini didn't wait for the glare of suspicion, she yanked the door open and dashed down the hallway, before Videl could catch up.

* * *

Sailor Mini Moon flew to the source of the energy, doing her best to ignore the sirens from the emergency vehicles below. She spied a small cloud of smoke rising up from behind a grocery store. And where there was smoke, there were people running.

Mini Moon landed on the pavement the same time Videl's yellow jetcopter descended from the sky. A second later, Videl hopped out of the aircraft, encapsulated it, and was in Mini Moon's face.

"They're saying it's a demon," the black haired girl said by way of greeting. "But that can't be right because you guys took them out _decades_ ago."

Someone screamed and Mini Moon winced and glanced in its direction. "Well, technically, it's a daimon but sure, demon works too. Or, you know, monster."

" _Whatever_ ," Videl said, sharply turning and walking toward the destruction. "How do we defeat it?"

Some of the ice concerning Videl melted in Mini Moon's heart and she gave the smallest and sweetest of smiles to her. "Doooes this mean we're a team?"

Videl scowled. " _No_. But you might as well help while you're here. Same with Helmet Head, I guess."

"You mean _The Great Saiyaman_ ," his voice corrected behind them. Videl jumped but didn't look even a smidgen guilty. Mini Moon turned and saw him standing with his hands on his hips, his cape billowing silently in the breeze.

"Was that your entrance?" A smile tugged at Mini Moon's lips.

"Uh," Saiyaman faltered and at Mini Moon's brow raise, straightened. "Yes. Totally on purpose."

Mini Moon rolled her eyes but still smiled. "Nice."

"Stop critiquing," Videl cut in. "How did you know this was happening?"

Mini Moon and Saiyaman shared a look. "We can sense it," Mini Moon explained. "It has a very powerful and very dark ki signature."

Videl looked dubious but something else exploded, blasting bits of concrete into their direction. The three turned and Mini Moon's heart dropped as she finally beheld the monster that had emerged.

It wasn't a monster like she was used to; there were no colorful and ridiculous costumes, no puns hurled around like bad cheese, nothing. It was clearly human, or had been once, but was limned with black energy so dark it sucked the light from around it. It staggered on unsteady legs, its arms too long for its body, hands twitching with sharp claws. It stared at the people running, eyes black voids of nothing.

"What. The hell. Is that." Videl gulped, taking several steps backward.

"I...don't know," Mini Moon whispered but as she did, the monster shifted its head toward her, as if it heard her words. Its body tensed, shoulders drawing up, and she narrowed her eyes. Was it scenting her?

" _I know you_ ," a hissing voice emerged from the monster. Mini Moon immediately shifted into a defensive position. The others followed suit. " _You have the purest energy of them all_."

Keenly aware of Videl and Saiyaman's eyes on her, Mini Moon ignored the monster's statement. "Where's your master?" Mini Moon summoned her courage and took a step forward.

" _He shall arrive soon_ ," it said, voice grating against her very being, " _once my brothers and sisters gather enough energy_."

"There's _more_ of them," Videl shouted at Mini Moon, as if _she_ was responsible for this.

"How did you get here," Mini Moon asked the monster.

" _Foolish humans who think they can play god,_ " the monster said, walking toward them. It lifted an arm at Mini Moon; an orb, black in color with tendrils of amethyst, formed within the center of its clawed hand, and blasted toward Mini Moon.

Mini Moon jumped out of its way, while Saiyaman jumped _toward_ it. Mini Moon opened her mouth to shout a warning but he simply raised his arms and caught the blast in his gloved hands and redirected it into the sky, where it slowly dissipated into nothing.

Mini Moon's eyes bugged out. How strong was this guy?

"Is that how we're playing," Saiyaman asked, crossing his arms as if deflecting powerful blasts was part of everyday life, "blasting each other and the city? Fine." He lifted his own arm and a bright white beam formed in his hand.

"No!" Mini Moon started toward Saiyaman but it was too late; he released his own energy blast at the monster.

Saiyaman smirked triumphantly as the bright blast soared toward the monster who simply raised its arms. It didn't redirect the energy blast like Saiyaman had, nor was it knocked away by the force. Mini Moon watched in half resignation, half sick as the blast disappeared into the monster. Absorbed by those warped, wicked hands.

Saiyaman's mouth popped open and his hands dropped to his sides. He and Videl, who looked frozen in shock and wonder and even fear, turned to Mini Moon.

"What…what happened," Videl said, her voice shaky. "How did you do that?"

"Why isn't that thing a pile of dust," Saiyaman asked; Mini Moon imagined his eyes narrowing under his helmet visor. His jaw was set in a hard line as he stared down the monster.

"I told you, these monsters absorb energy to get stronger," Mini Moon glared at Saiyaman. "You just fed it a crap ton."

" _What energy_ ," Videl yelled. "It's a trick- _right_?"

Mini Moon and Saiyaman both opened their mouths-Saiyaman to probably explain ki and blasts to Videl, Mini Moon to tell her to get the hell out of there, but were cut off by a hissing laughter. Mini Moon's stomach turned to lead as she slowly turned back to the monster.

The darkness surrounding it grew and it raised a clawed hand, staring at it with those black eyes, turning it over. It was savoring Saiyman's energy, Mini Moon realized, her mouth going dry at the thought.

" _Such sweet, pure energy,_ " it said as it walked toward the three. " _I will enjoy devouring your heart and souls_."

Mini Moon scoffed, thinking of all the other demons who said the same thing but now lay in piles of long forgotten ash. She shook her head and turned back to the others.

"Videl, you need to get out of here," she said. "You're not strong enough to fight this thing."

Mini Moon wasn't surprised when Videl's fear was replaced by the rage that was all too familiar. Even her trembling stopped as she stood, back ramrod straight, and fists clenched.

"I'm not leaving," Videl said, her violet eyes like ice as she glared at Mini Moon, and then at the monster. "This is _my_ city."

"Videl," Saiyaman started, visor trained on the monster, hands flexing, as if readying himself for a fight. "She's right. Your power level is nowhere near this thing. Mini Moon's is barely strong enough, and she's been fighting a lot longer than you."

" _I don't care_ ," Videl screamed. She swept her eyes over the surrounding buildings before facing the monster; it was mere feet from her and yet, she didn't flinch. "I _will_ protect my city. You're not doing this without me."

She was insane, Mini Moon thought, though she couldn't help the twitch of her lip or the surge of pride for her friend.

"How do we beat this thing," Videl asked,

The monster was so close now but Saiyaman and Mini Moon shared another look. He was completely unreadable with his black visor; Mini Moon wished she could see what was under it, to see what was in his eyes, but somehow she knew he held no fear. There was only a job to do, and he deferred to her judgement.

Leader, that's what she had fallen into yet somehow, the thought didn't crumble her to her knees. There was a job to do.

She nodded at Saiyaman, and he returned it, before they both turned back to the monster. It raised its hand, a black beam of energy forming in its palm again.

"We need to purify it," Mini Moon said to her allies. "It's too strong now-we need to weaken it. No energy blasts, and don't let it grab you; it'll suck out your energy and get stronger."

"So we beat the shit out of it," Videl said, her mouth forming a smile that was as wicked as the monster's.

Before Saiyaman or Mini Moon could say or do anything, Videl jumped at the monster with a cry. She grabbed its hand, so full of black energy that her own was engulfed in it. With another cry, Videl forced the hand skyward just as the energy was released, sending it like a black comet into the cloud speckled blue sky.

Videl smirked, and sent a kick into the monster's torso, sending it flying toward Saiyaman with a shriek.

"Holy crap," Mini Moon said, her eyes wide and trained on Videl, now panting with her efforts.

The monster twisted its body before it could reach Saiyaman and landed silently. It narrowed its black eyes on Videl, another energy blast forming in its hand. " _Foolish human_ ," it hissed, " _you can not hope to defeat me_."

It released its blast at Videl; the black haired fighter screamed, but dove out of the blast's path. Mini Moon launched herself toward the blast, hands spread out in front of her, and caught it like Saiyaman minutes before her.

Her gloved hands burned with the touch of so much negative energy and she cried out. The energy escaped her hands, exploding around her, and sending her flying. The building front, a cell phone store, crumbled from the force of the explosion.

Mini Moon groaned from where she lay on the asphalt, her ears ringing and her hands burning under her shredded gloves. She flexed one, staring at the bright pink and red flesh. What happened?

She coughed but forced her body up into a sitting position, her hands now limned with shimmering pink as her healing powers took over.

" _Fool_ ," the monster hissed, cackling laughter curling into its words, " _I am stronger than my fallen brothers and sisters."_

Mini Moon let out a humorless laugh and pushed herself up onto shaking legs. The burning of her hands had lessened but still lingered. She clenched them into fists and glared at the monster. "You need a better insult than fool, _bastard_."

She jumped toward the monster and slammed a fist into the side of its head. Searing pain flashed through her with the contact and she screamed and crumpled to the ground. Her skin prickled like needles into her flesh, and somehow, she felt her powers retreat, the healing pink sparks extinguished by the monster's dark aura.

Mini Moon forced breath into her lungs, and out. She stared at the ground with wide eyes as she searched for any shred of her powers. The pink crystal, which usually lay dormant within her, but sparked when she reached for it, felt like a stone in her soul.

A sharp claw hooked under her chin and she flinched at the pain, how it burned, as her head as lifted up, and she found those black depthless eyes looking down at her. Fear seized her and her body went slack a memory exploded from the back of her mind of another black nothing. _She_ was nothing. Mini Moon whimpered and the monster laughed.

" _Pitiful human_ ," the monster whispered to her, " _I can almost taste the crystal within you. So pure, so sweet. I will make you burn_."

"Not if I do it first," Saiyaman said beside her. He grabbed the monster's hand, wrenching it from Mini Moon, and slammed a fist in the same spot she had hit it. It flew away from them both and landed with a loud _crack_ on the sidewalk.

Saiyaman helped Mini Moon to her feet as Videl ran up. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Fresh air filled Mini Moon's lungs and soul. The blackness was gone, but the memory lingered even as she forced herself to breath. She nodded at Saiyaman. "It's right, it is more powerful. It has more negative energy than I can handle. I can't touch it."

"Then it's up to me," Saiyaman let go of Mini Moon and turned his attention to the monster. "Can you still purify it?"

Mini Moon squinted at the monster as it struggled onto its feet. It's aura was still great, but she sensed its powerful level shrink a little with each hit it took from Videl and Saiyaman. With a small smile, she nodded at Saiyaman. "Keep going, it'll be ready soon."

Saiyaman nodded without another word, launched toward the monster. Saiyaman landed a punch in its stomach just as it released an energy beam. Once again, Saiyaman caught it and sent it into the sky.

Videl reached out and took hold of Mini Moon's shoulder in a firm grip that the Sailor Scout understood to be supportive for both of them. The black haired fighter's eyes were wide as she watched Saiyaman trade blows with the monster and dodge its energy blasts.

"It's real, isn't it," she whispered after another blast was released. "I felt it, I _touched it_ , and there was nothing like my father said. No mirrors, no wires."

"It's real," Mini Moon confirmed. "You did great, by the way."

Videl looked at Mini Moon, a hardness creeping into her eyes. "How do I get stronger? Like him?"

Mini Moon smiled, though it slipped away a moment later. _Nothing, nothing_. Saiyaman backed the monster into a building front and delivered blow after blow to it with a dizzying speed. "I'm not sure it's possible for you." Videl made to protest but Mini Moon shook her head. "I'm not sure he's all human."

That silenced Videl who looked turned toward Saiyaman with what could only be described as wondrous horror. Mini Moon shook her head. "It's okay, I'm not either." She laughed when Videl gaped at her.

The monster was barely holding itself up. It lifted a trembling arm toward Saiyaman but it fell to its side a second later. A pitiful fizzle of dark energy escaped its hand and Mini Moon lept forward.

"I've got it from here," she told Saiyaman, hand diving into her subspace pocket; a moment later, she pulled out her mother's old weapon. The white and pink sceptre glimmered in the sunlight, enough so that the monster hissed wordlessly and shrunk away.

"What is _that_ ," Videl asked the same time Saiyaman said, "where did it come from?"

Mini Moon ignored them both and approached the monster; it's black eyes, eyes she could not look fully into, narrowed onto her and still sparks of darkness spit from it's hand. Mini Moon stopped at the edge of its aura and held up the sceptre, letting her power build within her. A soundless wind and white light gathered around her, whipping her hair around.

"You and your kind have been unwelcome in this world since your inception," Mini Moon said to it. "For trying to disturb the peace that has been brought, in the name of the moon, you will be punished."

" _We're coming for you,_ " the quivering, pathetic monster hissed, " _you can not stop us_."

"We already have," Mini Moon spat at it. "We'll manage again." And she unleashed the building power in a wordless spell.

Beams of yellow and sparkling rainbows shot out, light and pure, and hit the monster. It let out a piercing shriek but Mini Moon held her ground until it ceased as quickly as it came. She held her breath as the light faded, leaving the street dark in comparison, and revealed a man.

He was unconscious, his clothing torn, and hair unkempt, but-Mini Moon cautiously approached and stuck a finger under his nose-alive. Not a drop of evil energy. She breathed out a sigh of relief and turned to Videl and Saiyaman.

"He needs an ambulance," she said, putting Videl in action with her radio. That's when she became aware of the distance sirens, which seemed to be the new soundtrack of her life.

Mini Moon stood and stepped several feet away. She stared at the man, though nothing revealed who he might be; he was plain, with dark hair that wasn't quite black or brown, with a white shirt and jeans. He could have been anyone and yet he had somehow become possessed by the greatest dark power she had felt in years.

Her red eyes slid over the destroyed sidewalks and storefronts, at the smoking and crumbling concrete and bent light posts. "Videl," she called out. The black haired fighter looked over. "It wasn't his fault. He didn't know."

Videl's violet eyes, soft and round from the events that occurred, landed on the man before meeting Mini Moon's again. She offered a single nod and then took a step forward. "I want to get strong."

Mini Moon bit her lip to cover a smile. "You should stay away." She should, but she had also shown more courage than expected, much like Mini Moon's first encounter with a youma as a Sailor Scout. The memory caused her smile to grow.

Videl, perhaps sensing that Mini Moon wouldn't stop her, smirked and crossed her arms, though her air of confidence didn't quite reach her eyes. "I want to get strong," she repeated. "My father...can't be right about everything."

"Keep fighting like this and you will get strong," Saiyaman stepped up. He smiled at Mini Moon and Videl. "You both did great."

Mini Moon gave the biggest eye roll of the century and let out a sound of disgust. "Are you _kidding me_? I _sucked_ and had no business being here."

"Well _I_ was awesome," Videl said, chin high in the air. No room for argument, typical Videl.

Around them, emergency crews rushed forward; the street blurred with blue uniforms, and Mini Moon leapt out of the way, Saiyaman following her. Videl waved them off but didn't move. She stared at them for several moments, as if wanting to say more, an officer with a bushy mustache stepped forward and caught her attention.

Mini Moon rose into the air to the nearest rooftop. She and Saiyaman watched the scene from above for a few moments before Mini Moon heard a faint beeping. She cursed, drawing a curious look from Saiyaman, and she dove her hand in her subspace pocket for her communicator.

She angled away from a now _very_ curious Saiyaman and flipped it open, revealing Sailor Venus's beautiful, but glaring face.

"What the heck is happening, Mini Moon," she demanded as a greeting. Mini Moon offered a lazy salute as her own. "First the nega-trash radar goes off, then you transform, _then_ you use the Moon Power Tiare? It's not even three and end of world stuff is happening out there, _explain_. We didn't send you to that city so you could-"

"Wait, _what_ time is it," Saiyaman suddenly asked, ducking around to see the pink communicator's screen. At the sight of a now surprised Venus, he gave a little wave.

"Who the hell are _you_ ," Mars shouted as she pushed Venus out of the way and came into view. "Is this the guy Luna was talking about? Girl, you have a _ton_ of explaining to do, you can't just skip school-I'll tell you what time it is, it's two thirty and this girl is out gallivanting with _you_."

"I'M NOT GALLIVANTING," Mini Moon shouted back, pink flooding her cheeks. She looked at Saiyaman, then back at Mars, and gulped. "I'll call you back." She flipped the communicator shut just as Mar opened her mouth to shout some more.

Saiyaman seemed frozen in shock. "Did...she just say it's two thirty?"

"Yes."

"Oh no." He sounded like he was in absolute despair. "I missed the rest of school, _my mom is going to kill me_."

Mini Moon sucked in a breath to chastise him for being a superhero and _afraid of his mother_ , but she let it out just as quick, and shook her head. "It's been a long day. I'll let that one slide. I don't know you're in school, _you_ don't know _I'm_ in school. Deal?" Saiyaman nodded vigorously, and Mini Moon saluted him. "Go forth, you're an official badass...other than the mother thing."

Saiyaman let out a laugh and Mini Moon turned away as he flew into the sky. She counted to ten to give him a head start, thinking of everything-brownies, Venus's wrath, puppies-to keep herself from noticing the path he took. Eventually, his ki disappeared and Mini Moon sighed with relief.

Alone at last, she thought, as the wall she built around her crumbled. Her chest seized, her body trembling as she fought against the memories of the last time she had faced such unending darkness.

It didn't matter, she told herself, like she did whenever this happened. It was gone. _Gone_.

Mini Moon fought against the urge to sink to the ground; she gripped the concrete ledge of the building roof, her knuckles turning white. She angled her head toward the sun, still high in the sky. She ignored the phantom burning that tingled in her hands, letting the sun warm them and her face instead. A crisp breeze floated past and she let out another breath, as she watched the scene below her.

It was over, and had been for a while. This new threat was nothing; she would defeat it just like they defeated the other darkness. She wasn't going anywhere, she promised the city as she let out one breath and took in another.

* * *

Hello~ (I apologize for the outrageous length of this AN)

Right, so I noticed a boo-boo in the previous chapters. I wrote Pharaoh 40, which is totally _wrong wrong_. It _should_ be 90 _and_ spelled out (ninety) whoooops. *Head desk* Sorry, sorry, just pretend it isn't there. Anyway, here's an extra loooong chapter for that and my silence last week. Work got busy and they probably be this week as well.

Some notes on this chapter: In case it wasn't obvious, Rini can't touch the monsters because they have more negative energy than the ones she fought in the past. Her pink crystal can't handle the corruption. Like reverse Voldemort or something. I did that, and the energy absorbing thing, to even out the playing field and make things more difficult for our heroes (you know, since Gohan can't blast the suckers into dust now). And yes, Rini's flashbacks will be addressed and _no_ , I'm not playing on taking away Gohan's Badass Status like a certain anime creator…

Thanks for reviewing last chapter! Sheikah, I'm so glad I'm bringing you to the Gohan/Rini side. I'm still working on how to write them together (I want Badass Gohan _noow_ ) but it's fun; the two of them seem so natural together. X3, _of course_ , Rini and Gohan will be the main heroes! And I want everyone to train but that probably won't happen until after identities are revealed. I'm still deciding when that'll be.

Mr. Guest reviewer: please see my profile for a slightly more detailed explanation about this world (I cut it here to save room).

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Plus let me know what you think! xx


	8. Wonderings

The next morning, Rini found a pink slip on her desk, commanding her to report to detention that afternoon. She picked up the slip, crumpled it into a ball, and flicked it out in front of her; it landed with the tiniest crinkle on a bald classmate and tumbled to the floor. She ignored the stink eye he cast her.

Her eyes slid to Gohan's desk, where a similar pink slip still lay in front of him, smooth and commanding, just as hers was.

Rini gave her sleeping friend a hard poke in the side. He yelped and almost fell over as he straightened; his pen, however, was not so lucky and fell victim to his flailing arms. Rini snorted and picked it up from where it had fallen.

"What'd you do," she asked, gesturing to the pink slip with his pen before placing it back in its spot next to his hand.

Gohan's face fell blank, though his cheeks turned a nice shade of pink. Before he could answer, however, Erasa, ever helpful in these sort of matters, leaned around Gohan.

"He totally ditched class!" Erasa somehow managed to look scandalised by this despite the fact that Rini knew she had done worse.

Videl leaned over her desk and pinned a hard stare on the two.

"Oh, good, it's time for our morning interrogation," Rini yawned before Videl said anything, which earned her an upgraded glare.

" _Bathroom_ , huh," Videl said. Rini merely nodded.

"Very bad cramps," Rini said, taking a swig of her coffee. "A tidal wave."

The guys in hearing range all blanched and pretended everything else- _anything_ else-was more interesting. Rini rolled her eyes. "Babies," she said loudly.

Videl, apparently not one to argue with a girl on _girl issues_ , cut a glare to Gohan. "And your excuse?"

Gohan blinked, obviously unprepared for the spotlight. His eyes slid to Rini and she raised an eyebrow. "Uh. I went to check on Rini."

Rini stopped breathing. If he said anything else she was going to sabotage his test scores.

"She wasn't there, though. In the bathroom, I mean."

No, she was going to murder him in his sleep. Her parents would be massively disappointed in her but that was a price she was willing to pay if it meant she wasn't being dragged under the bus.

"I figured she must have gone home. And then I went home."

Wait, what.

Videl's eyebrows flew upwards.

"I mean, who wants to be at school when there's a demon loose, am I right?"

"Wow, for once I agree with you," Sharpner helpfully supplied.

Rini let out the breath she was holding, slowly, so Videl wouldn't notice. She was going to buy Gohan five milkshakes for that.

"And who wants to be at school during high tide," she said when Videl didn't turn away.

"Rini, _please_." Sharpner sounded vaguely disgusted.

This time, Videl rolled her eyes and punched Sharpner's arm. "You're such a baby."

Erasa giggled and just like that, a friendly debate started over what, exactly, made Sharpner a baby. ("You can't even handle a cleaning at the dentist."-Videl. "Your mom told me you almost fainted once, because of a spider."-Erasa. "Hey, it was _huge_."-Sharpner.)

Rini and Gohan shared one of their looks. She could have sworn she saw something akin to relief in his black eyes but he probably saw the same thing in hers, so she only offered him a smile. He returned it with no hesitancy; it was genuine, and it had been such a long time since she had seen a smile like that that she felt comforted. Maybe even accepted.

* * *

It's not real, some ugly part of Rini's sub conscious said a couple of classes later.

Rini paused in her note taking and stole a sideways look at Gohan. He was paying rapt attention to what their history teacher was saying-more about the Red Ribbon Army-and didn't notice her.

Which was probably for the best, since she didn't want to get caught staring. She went back to her own notes, scribbled something in her purple pen, before trailing off and sneaking another look.

It wasn't real...their friendship had been built on lies and a mutual understanding that both had secrets-and both would keep their mouths shut about them. It seemed to her, in this moment, staring at his relaxed, though tired profile, that this wasn't a good foundation for a friendship.

She looked away, her notes blurring under the weight of her thoughts. Truthfulness was long gone concerning the two of them but…

Rini bit her lip and stole another look-this time he looked back. She flushed, her heart skipping one or six beats for being caught, and quickly went back to her notes. No, the board. Pay attention.

She wondered what products he used for his hair…

* * *

There were more important things to worry about, that same voice from earlier said to her.

For once, Rini agreed.

First, there was the matter of the monsters. As of that morning, the man who had been possessed was still unconscious in the hospital, with no signs of waking any time soon. Worse, he had no ID so identification was still long off. Which was annoying...

Second, Saiyaman. Rini pursed her lips when his bright orange helmet appeared in her mind. His smirk...his weird poses...how he didn't show up for patrols last night so Rini had to take his shift…

Not that she had minded, really. She was sure that if she had been left in her apartment, she would have started clawing at the walls in her boredom and adrenaline. But still, there was confirmation that someone out there was in danger of being possessed and a little help would have been nice.

And then, of course, detention. It was once the bane of her mother's existence, and now she supposed she had the honor of paying _that_ particular due.

Rini snuck another look at Gohan (probably her hundredth, not that she was counting) and thought he'd look great in a dark blue color…

* * *

The final bell sounded and ten minutes later, Rini reluctantly dragged her feet into the detention room. The windows faced west, so the afternoon sun poured in, washing each desk with bright light.

Just the sight of it made Rini's eyes drooped, drowsiness overcoming her. She picked a seat by the window, the counterpart to the seat she preferred in her homeroom. A second later, Gohan walked into the room, and ten seconds after that, he slid into the seat next to her.

"Did you really go to check on me," Rini said by way of greeting.

Gohan looked at her, the sun brightening his face, and offered a smile, though it seemed a little forced. "Yeah, I did."

She couldn't tell if he was lying or not, not when his own excuse for leaving school seemed like one itself. And Gohan couldn't possibly have learned to lie so well in such a short amount of time.

So she let it slide because _not_ doing that would expose her for her lie. She thanked him instead and then asked instead about his family (they were doing well), then the upcoming chemistry test (he wasn't _worried_ , but he definitely needed to study), and then about the demon attack (kind of scary stuff, good thing Saiyaman was there), and a few other things until the teacher upfront coughed and sternly told them detention was for studying, not socializing.

Of course, Gohan was one to comply with rules so he tossed a quick apology upfront, his cheeks stained pink, and then pulled out his chemistry book.

Rini leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed, and watched Gohan quietly read over his notes and then check something in his book. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, wondering if anyone else noticed that his eyes weren't pure black in the sun, but the deepest shade of brown.

* * *

A powerful energy pulled her from her sleep.

Rini lifted her head from the desk, her arm asleep; as she shook it out, she blinked the sleep from her eyes and found the clock. Not even thirty minutes later. She heard arguing, and turned her head to see Gohan tight jawed, eyes full of frustration she had never seen before.

"But, sir, I _have_ to go, you don't under-"

"I understand perfectly well, Mr. Son," the teacher, middle aged and no-nonsense, calmly said, "that you also left your class without permission yesterday. I'm not about to let you go before your sentence has been served."

"I'm not in _prison_ ," Gohan argued back. It was the first time she'd seen him this agitated; bewildered, confused, and surprised seemed to be his default expressions...he looked like he was going to flip over the desk in response to the teacher.

The teacher chuckled, his amusement not reaching his eyes, and shook his head. "Isn't that what you kids are calling it these days?"

"Since the beginning of time," Rini said, stretching and standing. "I actually have to go-"

" _Sit down_ , Ms. Shields. No one leaves for another hour."

Rini slumped unhappily back in her chair, eyes going straight to the window. She knew _exactly_ where the demon's energy was, and she could feel Videl's energy going moving quickly towards it-probably in her jetcopter. She glanced at the teacher, her hands going to her hair.

Sometimes she hated her long hair and how the crystal _insisted_ that it grow so fast and long, but other times she was glad it was around. Her fingers intertwined with a lock and she started braiding, her foot tapping in short _taps_. If she couldn't busy herself with _saving the city_ , she would do so by braiding her hair.

Her heart rate kicked up and she cursed under her breath when Videl's energy stopped near the monster's. She wondered what it looked like today, if it had that same black energy and those same dark eyes that pulled her in-

She started another braid and glanced at the teacher. He was reading a book, blissfully oblivious to everything that was happening a few blocks away. She glanced at Gohan, who was also staring out the window, eyes hard as stone. She wondered where he needed to go.

She wondered where Saiyaman was.

Rini's eyes went back to the window. She started another braid. Gohan tapped his pen on his notebook, his own leg started to bounce; the vibrations of it matched her own foot tapping, and she felt solidarity in his frustration.

She had almost finished her latest braid when her pen rolled off the desk and onto the floor with a light clatter. Her eyes flicked from the window to her pen, and then at Gohan. He was still staring out the window but his body was shaking…

No, _Gohan_ wasn't shaking, the entire building was. Rini felt as if someone was shaking the bed; she bobbed in every direction and the few wall hangings swayed and hit the wall behind them.

The teacher looked up from his book with wide eyes. "Is that an earthquake?" And, like he were just talking about a rainy day, placed his book face down on the desk and sighed. "Well, kids, you know the drill." And with that, he disappeared under his desk.

Gohan and Rini blinked and glanced at each other.

"Detention sucks, doesn't it," Rini whispered over the clattering and rattling of the building.

"Yeah."

They both gathered their things. Rini didn't have to push Gohan out of the way; they both stood at the same time, and they both ran to the classroom door, the teacher shouting at them to stop. Gohan's jaw was locked in determination, and Rini wondered if she looked the same; they didn't stop.

They skid out into the hallway, the shaking had calmed, though a slight tremor still remained. They glanced at each other.

"I, uh, just have to use the bathroom," Rini explained, jerking a thumb behind her to where she hoped was a bathroom.

"Right. Well, er…" Gohan trailed off and shouldered his bad. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bulma needs me."

She was tempted to tease with him, something about how she hoped Capsule Corp's labs didn't explode or something, but the joke was a little too close to home. _Another_ lab had exploded and now the fallout was ruining her peace. So she merely nodded and walked as calmly as she could down the hall. When she reached a corner, where she knew an exit would be, she looked over his shoulder to find him gone.

She hoped he would stay safe out there.

* * *

Sailor Mini Moon breathed a sigh of relief when she found Videl crouched behind a car flipped onto its side. That relief, however, was tempered when she saw the bruises that lined her face and arms.

Despite them, Videl's eyes still blazed with the fire that was within her.

" _Where the hell have you been?"_

"Charming, as ever," Mini Moon knelt beside her. She glanced behind, where she felt a familiar and scattered power coming fast. "Oh, look, Saiyaman is here." She looked at Videl. "Are you okay?"

Videl rolled her eyes, not even flinching when Saiyaman landed with a _whoosh_ and spray of tiny asphalt pebbles. "I've had worse."

Mini Moon cast a doubtful look at the bruises blooming in brilliant blues and purples, and at the singed hem of her shirt and sleeves. Videl followed her gaze and cast a glare behind the car. "It's blasting more black stuff than yesterday."

"The _black stuff_ is dark energy," Mini Moon said as she stood. She brushed bits of asphalt off her knees and uniform. "Was that necessary," she said to Saiyaman.

" _Come out_ ," a hissing voice said before Saiyaman could voice an apology, " _I can feel your purity. Come play_."

"Not with a ten foot pole," Mini Moon muttered.

"What, so _I_ get beat up, but you get to stay clean," Videl jabbed a finger in her arm.

"I _can't_ touch that thing," Mini Moon countered, batting her hand away. "It'll fry me to a crisp."

"You don't have _anything_ else that might help you," Videl said dryly. "Out of _all_ of your magical tricks and healing things and _stuff_ , you don't have _anything else_?"

"Uh," Mini Moon said eloquently. Both Saiyaman and Videl stared at her. "I have...a Saiyaman-ally."

Videl threw her hands up and cursed loudly and colorfully, while Saiyaman smirked and cracked his knuckles.

"The Sailor Scouts have actual attacks," Mini Moon said over Videl. "I'm just there for the final blow, to purity everything, I don't exactly have a…" Mini Moon paused, her cheeks going red as she remembered. "...a sword. I have a sword."

" _What!"_

"Not with me," Mini Moon hastily explained. Videl looked exasperated, maybe even a little murderous. "It's sort of a _holy_ sword. I don't exactly carry it around with me. Besides, I don't want to slice up the person under all…" she gestured vaguely in the monster's direction, " _that_."

Videl _hmph_ ed and looked away while Saiyaman stepped forward and casually deflected an energy blast that the monster sent over. And then he was off, flying over the car. Mini Moon and Videl both watched as the monster jumped off the rooftop it had been on and sent yet another blast at Saiyaman.

Mini Moon sucked in a breath; the monster was the same as yesterday-black, long spindly arms, claws that crackled with evil and unnatural energy...black eyes of nothing.

Mini Moon swallowed and looked away, toward the blue sky. "I am something," she muttered softly to herself.

"What?" Videl looked at her strangely.

Mini Moon needed a distraction; her eyes went to Videl's bruises. "Here."

She held out her gloved hand, took a breath, and summoned the pink healing powers that helped her so many times. The pink crystal responded with a flare the rushed through Mini Moon's body, and enveloped her hand in shimmering pink light.

Videl eyed it with something very much like suspicion and scooted away an inch. Mini Moon rolled her eyes. "It's not going to hurt you," she reached out to touch the bruises around Videl's face.

Something crashed into the car beside them, filling the air with the sounds of tearing metal; Mini Moon and Videl were both knocked several feet away by the force, both of them crying out when they landed on the hard street. Mini Moon groaned and looked up to see Saiyaman on his back, the ruins of the car crushed under him.

The monster descended on him with a wide gleeful smile, " _mine, mine_ ," it hissed, " _your pure energy is mine_." It raised its black hands, energy crackling between its long claws. Before Mini Moon could shout a warning, before Saiyaman could even force his body to stand, the monster latched onto him.

White light burst out of Saiyaman and the monster cackled with triumphant laughter as it forced the energy from him. Mini Moon was on her feet before her body was ready, and running toward the monster before her feet found their ground. She slammed herself into the monster, wrenching it from Saiyaman before he could do it himself.

She cried out from the burning and the pain flooding her body, and she landed in a heap, the monster hissing under her.

" _It's you_ ," it said, and reached its arms around her, " _the one so pure_."

Mini Moon grit her teeth, her body tensing and she squeezed her eyes shut so she didn't have to see its void blackness. Blinding pain exploded within her when the monster's claws dug into her skin and began to suck out her energy.

 _I'm something I'm something_ , she told herself, though she could barely hear her mind's voice over her own screaming.

As quickly as it came, the theft of her energy stopped. Something strong and firm gripped her shoulders and pulled her out of the monster's black grip. Mini Moon slumped against the body, study and unyielding, even with her weight.

"Are you okay," Saiyaman's voice cut through the dark fog that had descended on her. She shivered and Saiyaman's arms wrapped more firmly around her, holding her up.

"I will be," she answered, finally opening her eyes. The world seemed brighter with her lost energy and she blinked rapidly to adjust. "Thanks."

"Thank _you_ ," Saiyaman said as he gently placed her back down. She jerked her head toward the monster, dark aura spilling over the sidewalk on which it lay, silently telling him to get it. He nodded but looked back down at her for a second longer.

Mini Moon stared back, wishing she could see his eyes, grateful for the sun reflecting off his visor. She could swear she saw a faint outline behind the black visor, large eyes that were pulled down with...worry.

Behind them, the monster stood and blast a beam of black energy toward them, reveling in its new power with a hysteric laughter. Saiyaman simply raised a hand and once again deflected it, before glancing back at Mini Moon, who stood on legs that were already getting stronger thanks to the crystal.

" _Go_ ," she said to Saiyaman. She needed to find Videl.

Saiyaman nodded but rather than move forward, he cracked his neck and stared at the monster wordlessly. It beckoned to him, whilst also walking toward him. "I guess it's time to get serious."

Mini Moon almost asked what he meant, and almost yelled at him to get fighting, when Saiyaman clenched his hands into fists and gave a shout. Mini Moon's eyes bugged out when she felt his energy growing and growing and _growing_.

Saiyaman's energy shifted from bluish white to a blazing gold that limned his body, lighting the entire street with its intensity. And somehow, though she could barely believe it, Mini Moon knew his energy did not stop there.

The monster was absolutely delighted as it took a deep breath, sensing and scenting Saiyaman's energy increase. It opened its mouth, but Saiyaman didn't let it speak; one second- _less than_ -he was in front of Mini Moon, the next he was by the monster, sinking a fist into its jaw.

The monster sputtered and shrieked, and went to grab Saiyaman but he was too fast for it again. He kicked the monster, sending it flying into a lamp post, and then was beside it _again_ , with a knee to the stomach. The monster tried sending a black blast at Saiyaman, but the hero simply forced its arm toward the sky, his smirk still in place.

Saiyaman delivered blow after blow to the monster and somehow, Mini Moon felt its energy decrease, even with what it stole from the two. She reached into her sub-space pocket and pulled out the moon power tiare, letting her own energy build up before it even emerged.

" _Seriously_ , where do you keep that thing," a pained voice said behind her. Mini Moon smiled slightly despite everything.

"Glad you're okay," she said to Videl before stepping forward to where Saiyaman, in his glowing golden aura, was still pummeling the monster.

Perhaps he sensed what she was about to do, for he stepped aside, smirk gone as he stared at the monster. She wondered, with the stillness that came over him, if he was glaring at it, or looking at it with pity.

" _I will have your energy,"_ the monster said, coughing up a thick sludge that might have been blood. " _I will raise my brothers and sisters_."

"Not today," Mini Moon said, the power from the pink crystal pulsing around her and in her blood, "in the name of the moon, I will punish you." She released the forced gathered around her, golden and every color imaginable bursting into the world.

And then, just like yesterday, the monster screeched a sound that Mini Moon felt in her core before it faded into nothing, and the light disappeared. And just like yesterday, a body lay where the monster once stood, this time a woman with chestnut brown hair and skin like snow.

Mini Moon put the still shimmering tiare back in her sub-space pocket and walked toward the woman. Unlike the man yesterday, her chest visibly rose and fell with each tiny breath she took. Mini Moon sighed with relief and knelt beside the woman.

She was pretty, with a pert nose and rosy lips, and Mini Moon wondered how she got herself into this mess, who she was...Mini Moon's eyes caught on the edge of the woman's pocket, where a bit of plastic poked out. Mini Moon reached out and nudged it with a finger, eyes widening when the woman's face and a name appeared: Dr. Sayuri Shu, radioactive safety response, Capsule Corp. A work badge.

"Find anything?"

Mini Moon jumped, and moved aside for Videl and Saiyaman. She pointed at the name badge.

"Get her an ambulance," Mini Moon told Videl, her eyes going to Videl's bruises again. She reached for the lingering power from her crystal and wrapped it around her hand again. "Here, I'll heal you."

Videl still looked suspicious but she didn't move when Mini Moon placed her hand on her face and knit the cuts back together, the bruises to fade. It took less than a minute and when Mini Moon pulled away, Videl blinked, and poked at her face.

"Uh." Apparently the fighter didn't know how to handle being magically healed. "Thanks."

Mini Moon smiled and lifted into the air. She glanced at Saiyaman, golden aura gone, energy smothered and scattered once again. "If I ever find out who you are," she said, "you have to tell me how you did that."

Saiyaman smirked and gave her a thumbs up in agreement. "So long as you tell me where you keep your weapons."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, with the sounds of sirens following her from outside, Rini walked into the arcade, bone tired, but relieved that somehow, no one was hurt. Her duty was finished for the day. For now.

Ryo smiled from behind the counter and Rini returned it and ordered her favorite chocolate milkshake (extra everything). She walked to the booth where she and Gohan usually studied.

Rini stopped next to where Gohan would normally sit and stared at the empty red vinyl booth. She wondered what he would think if he knew she was destroying monsters.

* * *

Hello~

It's graduation season here in Japan, school is going on break-that means no classes, which means eight solid hours for two weeks to write write write. うれしい ^^

Notes on this chapter: Rooomaaaance *flails arms* I'm not super confident in my ability to _not_ make it cheesy. So. We'll see how that goes. Yeah, earthquakes feel like someone shaking the bed, or like you're dizzy. Super weird. And yes, there is a sword in Sailor Moon. Will Rini use it? Probably. Maybe.

To answer a question-no the royal family was not happy about the moon being blown up. You wouldn't be either if your summer home was blown up. Twice.

Finally: sorry if the logistics of these two worlds isn't _quite_ working out for some people. I've explained it as best I can (see profile). Honestly, I'm only really working on Saiyaman saga and on, not what happened before. If I need to address something, I will, which means some things (like Roshi's age) are being put into the Not Essential folder. Again, sorry, but you are also free to fill any gaps in yourself.

Anyway, as always, thank you so much for reading and your responses. Please let me know what you think! xx


	9. What a Morning

_5:35 a.m._

Videl screamed as the van sped along, biting her lip to muffle the sound. She was trying to be brave, Rini knew that, but it was hard to tell if she was being stubborn or…

Moaning usually meant bad news; if she didn't have the strength to scream and curse and generally fight back…

Rini cursed and applied more pressure to Videl's leg, her hands slick and probably bright red from the blood. It was hard to tell in the dark, but Rini knew blood, and how it looked…

She cursed again when the van took a particularly sharp turn and the two girls slid across the bed of the van, into the wall. Rini tried her best to keep Videl's leg immobile but the van was moving too fast. Videl screamed again, which sort of relieved Rini. Just a bit.

"Don't give up yet, Videl," Rini muttered as she carefully rearranged Videl's leg.

"Fuck. Them," Videl said through clenched teeth. Rini nodded her head in agreement.

Five thirty in the morning. Rini almost rolled her eyes. What a morning...

* * *

 _4:30 a.m._

Rini jerked awake and scrambled for the light on her nightstand when the darkness of her room greeted her. Her trembling hand slipped from the switch once or twice until she flipped it and warm light flooded her room.

She blinked away her dream (nightmare) and dropped her head into her hands as she sat up. The clock next to her lamp read the depressingly early hour: four thirty in the morning. There was no way she was going to get to sleep again.

She shook her head and sighed. Four thirty in the morning, and a hollowness in her heart. She glanced at the window, looking through her reflection to the city nights beyond. They twinkled at her but she didn't take any comfort from them, not since the nightmares had resumed a few nights ago.

Rini rose from the bed, glancing briefly at her phone, also sitting on the nightstand. She didn't even reach for it. It had been years since she stopped talking about her nightmares and in those years they had gradually ceased to plague her.

It was easier, she told herself, to pretend that everything was fine than to field questions all day long. It was easier, she told herself, because her family-the Sailor Scouts included-had more important things to deal with than her fears of a threat long since eliminated.

...She _hoped_ was eliminated.

It was hard to know for sure when she couldn't keep an eye on the past and the past emerged in her present…

Ugh, four thirty in the morning. What was she supposed to do between now and school?

She eyed the city through the window and something deep in her bones groaned and said _hell no_ but she sighed. Honestly, it was this or stare at her walls…

* * *

 _6:00 a.m._

The pink crystal was calling her. Maybe it knew she was distressed, that there was literally blood on her hands. Maybe it could taste the metallic tang that filled the van. Maybe it could also hear Videl's screams and whimpers.

On the edge of her soul, it called to her, whispering to use it, to release some power.

So Rini did, because that kind of build up was dangerous, and because Videl was quieting, which was more dangerous. _Videl_ was simply more important than...than anything else.

Rini called the smallest of sparks forward and forced them into Videl. It wasn't much but...it might be enough to keep Videl's body from at least going into shock. At least until they could get to wherever they were going. Until they could get from prying eyes.

"What are you doing," Videl's shaking, pain laced, voice emerged from the dark.

"Nothing," Rini lied even as she sparked some more of the crystal's power into her leg.

The van screeched to a stop and Rini jerked her hand back, extinguishing the crystal's powers. A moment later, the doors opened and flooded the them with bright sunlight; Rini shielded her eyes and squinted as the men who threw them into the van in the first place came into focus.

"Get up," one of them said even as he reached for them.

"She needs help," Rini said, her words an echo from earlier. Of course, she was ignored.

* * *

 _5:00 a.m._

Rini opted for a run, sweeping her hair into a braid. The cool autumn hair hit her when she stepped out of her building, which was a shock after coming from her cozy warm apartment. It almost felt numb-almost. It felt nice; the longer she ran, the colder her face grew while the rest of her warmed.

Five in the morning and yet...this was the best distraction she'd found in a long time.

Lita would probably kick her ass for not keeping up with her running like a good little protege. Then again, good little proteges probably didn't run away (with permission) to another city and only train once a month. Lita would probably say it was good that the demons had come back.

Rini shook her head and took a sharp right.

She liked the city best when it was like this; she preferred the world in general when it slept. There were less expectations, temporary though it was. Mina would get that far away, introspective look in her eyes and sigh dreamily and say that so many possibilities awaited her when the city awoke...Rini prefered that they stayed asleep.

And Ami, being ever logical and practical, would simply say that expectations did not cease to exist simply because one was unconscious. Responsibility was destiny...or something. Rini had tuned out her dry lectures a long time ago...which was when Rei would pounce and say it was time for training, which is when Lita would step in…

...It was a cycle. One that even she wasn't foolish enough to pretend she didn't miss.

Yeah...she _missed_ that weird, chaotic, rambling family of hers. She missed coming home from school to find the Scouts pulling her in all different directions, how her parents would watch with smiles and eagerly wait for the recount of her days during their nightly dinners.

Rini slowed to a stop outside of a park, her body not even tired from the exertion. She almost wished it would, that she _wasn't_ in insanely (inhumanly) good shape so she could at least _feel_ something.

She rested her hands on her knees and stared at the gray concrete. Her phone was a lead brick in her pocket and slowly, before she could think better of it, she straightened, her hand reaching for it-

"What are you doing here?"

Rini froze, her exhausted body automatically going into a defensive pose at the voice. A dark, slim figure stood in the park's entrance and then stalked over. A blush rose in Rini's cheeks as she regarded Videl and she immediately relaxed.

Videl crossed her arms over her chest, silently waiting for Rini's answer.

Rini gave a broad gesture over herself. "Torturing myself." At Videl's brow quirk she added, "cardio. Running...I couldn't sleep."

Videl cocked her head and didn't say anything. Rini looked around awkwardly for a few seconds and toed the ground with her shoes, trying not to feel uncomfortable. There was no reason to be, Rini told herself. This was Videl, her, uh, friend.

Maybe that's why Videl hadn't walked away either. Both realized that they had some weird friendship connection in the form of dodgy lies and Erasa. It looked like a lot of effort for Videl to open her mouth and say, "why couldn't you sleep."

It was somewhat easier for Rini to reply, "nightmares." Videl raised another brow and Rini sighed. "The demons are kind of freaking me out."

It might have been the truest thing Rini had ever told Videl, which made Rini wince. She had a lot of work to do with her friendships…

It was a slight shock when Videl's lips quirked. "You never struck me as the type to be scared by demons."

Rini stared at her flatly. "Because you think I'm Sailor Mini Moon." Rini paused and quietly asked, "you don't think she's frightened?"

"No. Because she can defeat them." Rini wished she could be as certain in life as Videl was in her answer. She wished she could live up to that certainty.

"It's not a question of defeating," Rini countered. "It's just...those things are out there, somewhere, and no one knows where or how. Also, come on, their eyes are freaky."

Videl just shrugged, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, which was awfully blase of her, Rini thought, letting out a small snort. The black haired fighter switched from indifference to defensive so fast, Rini almost got whiplash.

" _What_."

"Nothing," Rini was quick to assure her, "just...you're a seasoned badass is all. Not many people can shrug off the presence of _demons_."

Videl smiled, which, coming from her, was akin to being sainted. A second later she was walking away, leaving Rini still standing at the park's entrance. She thought fleetingly of continuing her run in the opposite direction because it was clear that Videl didn't want her-

"Are you coming?"

Going on a walk with Videl at five in the morning...Her parents had been stressing the importance of diplomacy and the amiable dealings of undesired situations. Of course, their frame of reference had always been other dignitaries and sovereigns but…

Videl was giving her one of those sharp looks that demanded an answer of some kind so Rini shoved her parents' lessons to the back of her mind.

"Uh…" Rini blamed her inarticulation on her exhaustion. "Sure. Yeah."

It was silent for several moments as Rini fell into step beside Videl. Rini shoved her hands into her jacket pockets and chewed on her lip as she looked around at the awakening city. One by one the lights on the sidewalks blinked off for the day and the sky brightened to a misty blue. l a A smattering of stars still winked at them and Rini turned her attention to them.

Videl kicked every single pebble that dared to lay in her path and Rini cleared her throat about three times before the stars grew boring and the silence between them became too much.

"So," Rini began, not quite sure where to take this conversation but a topic soon came to mind. "How's your dad?"

Maybe it was the wrong question to ask because Videl's posture grew rigid and straight and she now glared at the pebbles she was kicking. "Great. Wonderful. He's the strongest man alive, didn't you know?"

"Uh." Rini shoots her a sideways look. "Okay, as someone who's distanced themselves from her parents, let me tell you that _that_ was total bullshit."

The look she got from Videl in return was cunning, calculating. Rini took a few distancing steps to the right. "I'll tell you, if you tell _me_."

Rini rolled her eyes. "This isn't a pissing contest but okay. My parents have great expectations that I'll one day be as amazing as them and it's a lot to deal with so I came here."

Videl eyed her and they reached an intersection, the crossing signal red. At five twenty in the morning, there weren't any cars but they both stopped walking, waiting. Videl turned fully toward her, tilted her head, and asked, "why'd you choose here?"

"I threw a dart at a map of the world."

Videl's lips twitched.

It was a dart to the board that _just happened_ to be one of Rei's fire darts. They barely managed to see the city name it landed on before it went up in flames. But Videl didn't need to know that.

Rini's lips also twitched.

It was quiet a few minutes longer. The cross signal turned green and they walked across the empty street. They passed a few cafes, faint golden light spilling out from within. Already, Rini could smell the faint aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She contemplated running in to get one because they smelled so _amazing_ when Videl spoke up again.

"I can't sleep either."

Rini flicked her eyes to her and indeed, her eyes were rimmed with dark circles and something in her body seemed to slump with that confession, as if she were suddenly too tired to keep the wall up. Somehow, Rini didn't think it was nightmares that kept Videl awake. Her sigh seemed to confirm this theory.

"The phones are ringing nonstop," she stopped walking. Rini did too and she was amazed when Videl crossed her arms tightly. Hugging herself. She didn't look at Rini and Rini kept still, worried she'd scare off this moment. "Every reporter in the city wants to know what the great Hercule thinks about the demons. If he'll come and fight them. Why they're here. There are even news trucks outside with the _brightest_ lights pointed at the house because _of course_ they can get that close because Dad needs to be in the center of attention and not a closed off compound like Capsule Corp."

"Er…"

Videl, it seemed, was on a roll, and continued down the sidewalk. Even her walking took on a more aggressive pace and Rini found herself power walking to keep up.

"And does anyone ask what _I_ think? No. Because I'm a product of my dad's amazing training so he gets all the credit because I'm _his_ accomplishment. And he doesn't even acknowledge what I've done other than _wow, good thing I trained you to be so strong_." Rini winced at her poor imitation of Hercule's voice.

Videl took another breath; Rini braced herself. " _And_ he won't even address any of the reporters. He's either in his office or locked up in his private gym and if I happen to see him, he either credits himself _or_ he'll shake his head and say he's sorry I'm caught up in other people's lies. As in, the demons are lies and Saiyaman and Mini Moon are liars-and then he'll walk away!"

Rini stopped walking. Videl was looking at the brightening sky, at the pink hues that outlined the wisps of clouds. Her eyes were narrowed and her hands were clenched at her sides, trembling with their force of her pent up rage.

"I _know_ they're not lies, I've _seen_ it," Videl whispered with rock hard resolve, as if not only telling Rini but the universe as a whole. As if it would catalogue her words and spread them amongst the stars. "I _know_ it's real and I _will_ find out who they are."

Rini felt frozen to the concrete sidewalk, hardly breathing. She felt _bad_ for Videl and that she was dealing with all of this and most of it was her fault. Part of it was Hercule's, too…but none of it was Videl's fault.

Videl shook her head and gave Rini a sideways look that was a little bitter, a little knowing, which was unsettling to say the least. "I don't want to out them. I just want to know what else _isn't_ a lie."

"Videl," Rini started, but then stopped because honestly, what could she say? _Don't worry, you're totally sane and sorry for ruining your life_? Well. She _could_ say that, but would basically give everything away...she was glad she was wearing her running shoes because running away was awfully tempting although it would sure make life easier if Videl just knew the truth, if _someone_ knew the truth and _wow_ , she was tired if that train of thought was starting to make sense.

Videl was still staring at Rini with a look that basically begged for salvation-or at least a little sleep…

"Videl..." Rini tried again, before the words became stuck in her throat. She coughed, and tried again. "...if you ever need to get some peace and quiet, you can always stay with me."

 _That_ was a sure fire way to get all of her secrets exposed but Rini was either too tired to care, or she was just beyond caring. She was probably tired. At least, she was _definitely_ tired of all the secrets.

Five twenty in the morning, was it? Maybe a run hadn't been such a good idea…

Videl blinked several times, surprise overriding everything else. Her mouth popped open and she tilted her head and then blinked again. Slowly, she seemed to remember who she was talking to. Her lips grew into a smirk, though Rini noted she looked grateful under it all.

"You're not afraid of me finding out about your secrets?"

Rini mustered an indifferent shrug. "Maybe you'll get off my back if you found out about a few."

Videl's smirk grew larger, and she resumed walking, this time with a lighter gait than before.

"I'm very boring," Rini was quick to reassure her, but it didn't seem to make a difference. "Like,I apparently get up at," she checked her phone's clock, "five thirty in the morning for runs. I clean on Sundays. And I match my socks. And I like cooking shows."

Rini stopped there because she didn't really want to scare away this strange new friend she had somehow made and kept despite everything. But Videl smiled and simply asked, "is there a gym?"

Rini was quick to nod. "With one of those virtual reality treadmills. Man has technology changed."

"Since the nineteen nineties?"

Rini stopped walking, her blood freezing and her eyes widening.

It might have meant nothing- _would_ have meant nothing to anyone else. But it was so _specific_ and Videl's smile turned knowing again, the satisfied kind that came with figuring out a secret and Rini cursed herself for falling into the trap so easily.

And maybe it was the surprise of it that did her in because, rather than deflect like she would normally do, she only found it in herself to breathe, "how?"

Videl opened her mouth, and Rini briefly wondered how she would even _hear_ the explanation over her hammering heart, but it never came.

One second Videl was looking pleased with herself, and the next-right after a piercing _bang_ -she was crumbled on the ground, clutching her leg.

Somehow, the world screeched to a stop and Rini rushed to Videl, though the distance between them seemed to stretch for eternity. She pushed her senses out, searching for the demon-because _what else_ could bring Videl down-but there wasn't one.

Instead there was…

Rini reached Videl just as a van, white and nondescript, pulled onto the sidewalk with a squeal. Another car, black with windows like night, followed. Rini found Videl's hands as they covered the bleeding wound and pushed down; she watched the car door open and a vaguely familiar man stepped out. Another man stepped beside him.

Rini's hands were slick with blood and she pushed down harder, causing Videl to scream, and stared at the men. She narrowed her eyes on the driver of the black car. A million muscles, short hair and...there wasn't a scowl of fury, but a smirk that Rini wanted to round kick off his face.

Beside him, the slender man held up a silver pistol that glinted in the weak morning sun at Videl's fallen form. The fighter flinched, which made her cry out in pain, but Rini held her in place.

"Hey, sweetheart," the muscled man said. "I need a favor."

"You have a hell of a way of showing it," Rini spat, holding herself rigid so he wouldn't see her trembling body. _What do I do what do I do_...

The man laughed, rough and rumbling, and turned to the men who had emerged from the van. "Load 'em up. Let's get out of here."

Rini should stop them. She _could_ stop them but...her hands trembled over Videl's, and Videl's tear streaked face locked onto hers…

She wasn't Saiyaman, she couldn't dodge bullets. She could teleport but-she _couldn't_ teleport in front of these guys. They had her card, they knew who she was. She couldn't…

Rough hands grabbed her the same time they grabbed Videl. They roamed over her body and she jerked away with a snarl, but they merely laughed-and reached into her pocket for her phone. The man waved it with a taunt in front of her face before throwing it the leader.

Videl screamed as they dragged them both to the van. Rini didn't fight them; she kept her eyes locked on Videl, on the blood that bloomed on her pants and dripped onto the sidewalk. She didn't even dare to look at the surrounding shops, at the people cowering within.

And did nothing...

"She needs help," Rini found herself saying, her voice raw even though she wasn't the one screaming.

"That can wait," the man holding her growled at her, "until then, think of it as motivation for our _favor_."

The air knocked out of her a second later as he shoved her with a large hand to the back, and she fell into the van beside Videl. As she landed, she did best to twist her body away from Videl's leg, which resulted in her landing on a pile of dirty rags.

Rini looked up at the man, silhouetted in the morning sky. The sun had mostly risen, the sky was a lovely shade of blue, bright and promising. It might have been a great day.

It was the last thing she saw before he slammed the doors shut and darkness overtook them.

* * *

 _6:15 a.m._

They were shoved into the dankest and dirtiest excuse for a cell in some forgotten cellar in some far reaching part of the city that Rini hadn't even recognized in the brief second she was outside.

Videl crumbled to the floor as soon as she was released but Rini rushed to her side a second later and helped her onto the sagging bed in the far corner. Rini bit back her revulsion as she caught a glimpse of it (stained and threadbare) but it was better than the floor which was littered with other questionable stains and useless objects like filthy towels and empty bottles.

Rini could hear the men laughing down the corridor, their footsteps rebounding off the metal staircase that led up to wherever their leader had gone. Soon, other than a faint dripping from somewhere and Videl's panting and Rini's hammering heart, it was quiet.

Videl swore up and down as Rini readjusted her, her body tensing in pain, and her hands reflexively shielding the gunshot wound. Rini rolled her eyes and knocked Videl's hands away.

"Relax," Rini hissed as she studied the wound in the faint, yellow light that came from a flickering light bulb above. "I'm going to heal you."

Videl stopped moving at those words but Rini hardly noticed; the wound was still oozing bright red blood. Good. And she couldn't sense anyone near them, only a few guards at the basement entrance. Also good.

"How…" Videl breathed but Rini ignored her.

She reached into herself, toward the pink crystal and silently called forth its power. Soft pink light spilled from her hands moment later, limning them, and she avoided Videl's gaping look of shock as she placed them over the wound. Rini's brow creased and she closed her eyes as she worked at Videl's muscle, first at forcing the bullet from her flesh, where it fell to the floor with a _plink_ , then at knitting torn muscle and skin back together.

It was done in less than a minute, and Rini's hands fell on Videl's now smooth, but still blood soaked skin. The crystal, satisfied, grew cold within her. Rini opened her eyes; the pink light had faded so only the pathetic light bulb illuminated them. Rini swallowed and looked up, finally meeting Videl's astonished eyes.

What a morning.

"So," Rini said, feeling the utter inadequacy of her words. "I'm Sailor Mini Moon."

* * *

Hello~

So my happy fun plans of writing a million chapters during spring break was derailed by this chapter. On the one hand, what's a Saiyaman Arc story without some gangsters, yay gangsters. On the other...this stupid chapter! This plot development was brought to you by the seat of my pants because, haha, writing amirite? This was supposed to come _later_. Like, I didn't add the structure of this until literally an hour ago. But whatever, it works out. It opens up other plot opportunities and [other optimistic words].

Sheikah: No one has a clue about anyone's identities (well... _some_ do now) simply because they're idiots. If they stopped being so desperate to get away from class and join the action, they could actually notice each other's change in power levels and the fact that, say, Mini Moon appears in the _exact same spot as Rini_. But they're (loveable) dummies, so.

Okay, sorry for making you guys wait so long for this. Please review, I hope you liked it! xx


	10. Heart to Heart (Confessions)

"I _fucking knew it_ ," Videl finally said in that voice that suggested, yeah, she _did_ know it.

Rini, who had ceased breathing in the eternal moments since her confession, let out a breath that was akin to a typhoon force wind. "Of course you did."

She didn't expect the swift punch that Videl threw at her, landing with painful force on her forearm. " _Ow_. What was that for?"

"For making me look like an idiot for two weeks," Videl threw another one but Rini was quick to block it.

"Videl, calm down."

She was _not_ calming down; the blazing fire in her eyes was evidence of this. "You just, what, decided to come to my school to take away _everything_ I've worked for so _you_ can be a great and wonderful superhero?"

"No."

"Because being a superhero in Crystal Tokyo wasn't good enough for you?"

"No."

"You couldn't resist the glory, could you? First chance you got, you transformed."

" _No_." Fed up, Rini caught Videl's fists in her own and forced them to the fighter's sides. Videl put up a fight, tried with considerable strength to pull away but Rini's own strength held true.

"I didn't want any of this," Rini glared at Videl, her voice hard, strained. Videl opened her mouth but Rini shook her head. "I still don't. But you know, it _sucked_ to watch that bus go off that cliff. _That's_ why I transformed. I couldn't handle innocent people dying when I could have done something."

Rini let go of Videl and backed up to the other side of the room, leaning against the wall for support since the filthy floor was simply not an option. The dingy light from above shone on Videl, making it impossible to miss her glare, however. "And will you be quiet? There aren't any guards right outside this room but they are nearby. I don't really like the idea of them learning my secret too. Or that I healed you."

"I have questions."

Rini rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you do."

"How do you know where they are?" She gave a vague gesture to encompass the building.

"I can sense their energy levels. I know where everyone is this place is." She cocked her head to the side, as if listening, and felt several men in clusters in various points around the building-probably exits. There were more upstairs, one pacing in a room with a smaller group…

" _How_ can you sense them? Do I have an energy level?"

"Every living thing has one." Videl gave her a hard look that basically said _cut the bullshit_ and Rini sighed. "I'll teach you one day. Let's just get out of here for now. Between the two of us, we can probably bust our way out without having to resort to magical means."

"No."

Rini whipped her head toward Videl. Blinked a few times. She misheard, _right_? "Er, sorry, what?"

No way did Videl Satan say she wanted to stay a hostage.

"We're not leaving yet."

Rini resisted groaning. "Yes, we are. I'm not spending all day in here. Your leg is healed. Breakfast is calling me. I have a _chemistry test_ in a few hours." She made a useless gesture to the door.

"You should have thought about that earlier."

"Wait, _what_? I don't exactly wake up and say, 'gosh, I hope the kidnapping goes well'. Because I never _plan_ on getting kidnapped or for my friends to get _shot_! Oh, and by the way, they probably want money and as Hercule's daughter, you have a lot. So it's in your best interest to leave _now_."

"This is the Orange Syndicate, also known as Satan City's biggest crime organization. It's in the city's best interest to put them behind bars first."

"Yes, great, but do we have to do it _now_?"

"Yes."

Rini glared at Videl for several seconds but her violet eyes were as unyielding as Rini's. It was a staring match for the ages and Rini was not about to back down, trained warrior that she was. "I could teleport you by force."

Videl smirked that honey sweet smile of hers. "Try it. I'll out you first chance I get."

Rini's eyes flashed at the threat; Videl's smile stayed ever so sweet as she let the silent threat carry on between them: _I dare you to stop me_. It was silent for a few seconds more; Rini could hear the buzzing from the light above and the _drip drip drip_ from somewhere beyond their cell walls. Her eye twitched.

"I hate you," Rini said finally.

Videl had the audacity to look smug. "Good. You'll work more efficiently."

"What would you have me do, oh great Videl, bane of the Orange Syndicate."

Videl nodded her head at the door, locked tight with a bolt that Rini was confident she and Videl could _easily_ break if they put some effort in. "First we wait for medical supplies-I _know_ they're not stupid enough to let me die. Then we're going to wait for them to want to negotiate. You'll get our evidence then."

"Assuming you don't get us killed first," Rini mumbled although once she thought about it, it was a pretty practical plan, one that didn't involve too much of anything which was good for not getting killed. Though...vague was never very good, either. "And what evidence? Why aren't you getting it?"

"I'm _injured_ , remember," Videl reminded her with a roll of her eyes. "So it'll be up to you to do the work. You got hit with their car, didn't you? This is on you."

" _Actually_ ," Rini scowled, "it's on _them_ for being greedy assholes."

" _So_ ," Videl said over Rini, "You're a Sailor Scout-what else do you have besides that big wand thingy? And where is it?"

"That _big wand thingy_ is a holy relic, thank you," Rini said loftily. "It's in my sub-space pocket...a pocket between the dimensions, er, here." Rini reached in and pulled out a variety of equipment-transformation brooch, communicator, Luna Pen. "And, oh, I have a recorder. Evidence." She shoved everything back in the pocket and pulled out said recorder.

Videl shook her head to clear the shock that had apparently overtaken her. She also cleared her throat and continued. "Okay, so you'll record everything. Then we'll break out, although I have a feeling Saiyaman won't be able to resist coming himself. He can help out, I guess."

The last part as said as if an after thought. Rini thought of earlier-only an hour ago-and Videl's rant about Hercule and his planet sized ego. "What about...what about your father?"

A dark shadow passed over Videl's eyes but was gone in an instant. Videl looked away, her eyes boring into a spot in the corner of the room and said distantly, "my father...right." She scoffed and shook her head, quiet a moment longer, as if summoning the courage for her next words. Then, "he didn't do it, did he? Defeat Cell?"

Videl's voice was hollow and yet tentative, as if she knew the answer but it was the first time she had uttered those words in that order. Rini wordlessly shook her head. She didn't know what she was expecting; maybe a more outward shattering of a seven year belief. Grief that the great hero she had looked up to, idolized, was a fraud. Anger for being deceived...betrayal…

Instead, Videl tipped her head back so it rested against the wall. Her arms crossed her body, which sagged into the bed.

"I thought so," she said, her voice flat and simply exhausted. "After these past couple weeks...I thought so."

"Videl…"

But Videl shook her head, waving off Rini's concern, like a cold wall had been built up around her. "Tell me about being a Sailor Scout. No lying this time."

* * *

Meanwhile, Gohan, full from the breakfast his mother had cooked for him and Goten, landed on the roof of Orange Star High School.

By all accounts, it was shaping up to be an average, though lovely day. The air had cooled to a brisk autumn breeze, yet the sun shone bright and golden as if it were summer. And, thanks to the lack of demon attacks on the city, he had even managed a solid eight hours of sleep the past couple nights.

A part of him hoped, despite Mini Moon's knowledgeable pessimism on the matter, that the demons attacks had stopped completely, if only so he could enjoy this sense of normalcy for good.

But then...that would probably mean Mini Moon would disappear. Probably. Given her former absence, it was most likely. But maybe…

Gohan shook his head and walked into the school.

Still, he wasn't sure exactly was he was expecting during for the day. Maybe just the usual; a showdown between Rini and Videl, Erasa acting as the bubbly mediary, a chemistry test that would make Bulma laugh herself hoarse at its simplicity.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but it might have at least called for Videl and Rini actually being present.

As it was, they weren't in their seats when he entered the classroom. And even more telling, Erasa looked at him with wide eyes that held anything but her usual cheerfulness. Instead they were...worried. Actually, now that he looked around, the entire class seemed to share her worry. Gohan quickened his pace, something urging him forward with an urgency that wasn't there ten seconds ago.

"What's up," he asked before he even sat down, though he at least plopped his book laden bag on his desk.

Erasa shook her head. She reached a hand out to the small white phone in front of her, pressed a few buttons to unlock it, and then pressed a few more; Videl's number and a picture of her scowling at the camera flashed on the screen where it stayed for several moments.

"She's not answering her phone," Erasa finally said, gesturing to the phone which prompted Erasa; _call back?_

"Maybe she's just busy," Gohan slowly sank into his seat, though even as he spoke those words, he knew, somehow, that it wasn't right.

Erasa shook her head again and tried again. Gohan's skin prickled with the sensation that he was missing something.

"What's up," he asked again, slower, voice grave as he eyed his classmates.

Sharpner rolled his eyes, though Gohan noted his usual smirk was missing. "Don't you watch the news? There was a kidnapping this morning. Gun shots, blood everywhere, white vans. Erasa is convinced it was Videl and Rini."

Well, whatever Gohan had been expecting for the day, it certainly hadn't been _this_.

A cold unease swept over him and he turned back to Erasa, who was now scrolling through her phone, probably searching for any updated news, but he doubted there was anything since her brow was still pinched together with worry.

Gohan glanced at Rini's empty seat. He thought of the coffee she usually shared with him, black and bitter and warm. The classroom felt bleak without its rich scent. His stomach, full from breakfast still, clenched with want for the simple luxury that he hadn't quite realized _had_ been a luxury.

He hoped she was okay.

"Have you tried Rini's phone," he found himself asking.

He turned in time to see Erasa shaking her head, her lips pursed in annoyance. "I don't have her number which is _dumb_ because she _sits right there_."

Gohan wordlessly handed his phone to her, which caused Erasa to yank him into a hug, muttering words of thanks.

"Wow, who knew _you_ could get a girl's number," Sharpner muttered next to her, which earned him a smack from Erasa's well manicured hand.

Gohan coughed, knowing what Sharpner meant, but not wanting to fully explore the meaning. Friend (possibly) kidnapped. Chemistry partner, as well, of course he had her number, they had a test later...but she might have been _kidnapped_ so whatever Sharpner thought was happening didn't matter.

Erasa cursed when Rini's phone went unanswered and she threw Gohan's phone hard on the table before wincing and muttering a quiet _sorry_ to Gohan, which he shrugged off.

Well. If Erasa couldn't find the two girls, then maybe he could. Unfortunately the city was a jumble of low ki; they sort of blended together. Like a ki blob. But Videl's usually stood out with her tenacious personality and her status as a fighter. A _really good_ fighter for a human.

So, although it took a few minutes, Gohan was able to find her on the edge of town. He frowned. He didn't know Satan City very well but he at least knew the important stuff, like where the malls, hospitals, and police stations were. She was nowhere near those things.

Gohan's eyes widened as he sensed another ki next to Videl's-Rini. Her ki, so warm and bright like a sunrise; a promise of something brilliant. A mystery that he enjoyed unlocking in the quiet moments they had together.

 _They_ were together, Rini and Videl. Which mean they had to be all right...right?

"AAAHH."

Erasa's voice was loud-piercing-in his ear and Gohan jerked violently, almost out of his seat. He looked over to see Erasa staring at her phone in horror. Actually...it seemed like everyone was.

"Jeeze, Erasa, did you have to blow out my ear drum?" Sharpner had a finger in his ear and a grimace but he, too, looked white.

"What happened," Gohan said even as he scrambled from his seat to look at Erasa's phone. His haste almost knocked Erasa from her own seat and she yelped but stayed put.

"They _were_ kidnapped," she said in a near whisper and showed Gohan her phone.

It was news page, with a picture of the kidnapping scene-Gohan's stomach clenched at the amount of blood on the ground-and, further down the page...a blurred and grainy picture a witness had taken of the actual kidnapping…

Even with the poor quality, Gohan recognized Rini's streaming pink hair anywhere. What was unrecognizable was the look of fear and anger that shadowed her face and-Videl. Dragged by rough looking men, _blood_ flowing from a wound he couldn't see.

The edges of his vision darkened and his fists clenched; the lights flickered and he grabbed his bag.

"Gohan Son, stay right where you are," their gym teacher barked as he walked through the class door. Everyone froze, glancing between Gohan and the teacher, whom they had never head raise his voice. "I've heard about your recent disappearances and you're not leaving this classroom until the end of the school day."

"I have a chemistry test later," Gohan said somewhat defiantly, as if that mattered.

"My statement stands," Mr. Bannai said, crossing his arms. "Don't think you can slip out during class changes. Sit down, you're staying here." This time, his eyes swept over the class at large, softening as he regarded them. "You all are, given the recent events and...your classmates situation. So put your phones away, it's time for a practical lesson on sports tactics...Mr. Son?"

Gohan was still standing, hand still tightly grasped around the rough strap of his bag. His knuckles were white and he could hear each pounding thump of his heart as he stared at the door of the classroom.

He could _feel_ them. All he had to do was follow them.

A hand grasped Gohan's wrist, tentative, soft. Gohan looked down at Erasa, her blue eyes heavy with distress; she shook her head.

"Gohan," she breathed, barely going over a whisper. She locked her eyes on him and he felt his legs locked in place. His fire melting. "Gohan, don't go. Stay, please. With me."

Maybe it was the way her voice caught on the last words, or the way her hand tightened on his wrist, or...or even the way her other hand still clasped her phone on her desk. Maybe it was all of those things.

He couldn't leave her.

Gohan found himself releasing a breath and, with one last look at the classroom door, jerked his seat out and sat in it. The class also seemed to let out a sigh of relief, though he could still sense the tension, the excitement over every thing happening. Erasa didn't release his wrist, or the pressure with which she clasped it; Gohan didn't mind, recognizing the comfort she silently sought.

Mr. Bannai nodded once at Gohan and turned to the board, drawing an extremely rough diagram of a football field.

Gohan's phone pinged on the table. Erasa and him almost knocked heads together as they leaned forward to see who was messaging. When he saw it was only Bulma, he snatched it off the table.

 _Vegeta felt your energy for a second. You okay?_

Gohan thought of the flickering lights-was it only a few minutes ago? It had felt like hours-and cursed himself for almost loosing control.

 _Fine_ , he messaged back and set the phone in his lap. He spent the rest of the lesson staring out the window, locked on Videl and Rini's energies.

* * *

"...and then I befriended a Pegasus," Rini finished, knotting the bandage their captors had tossed through the slot in the door. Rini had cursed up a storm at that-medical assistant her foot. But then, they probably wouldn't mind if Videl was permanently disfigured if it kept her from bagging their thugs.

Rini looked up and saw Videl staring at her, eyes a little glazed over.

Rini sighed. "Where did I lose you?"

Videl's features immediately morphed back into a scowl. "You didn't. I asked about your life as a Scout, not your life story."

Rini sat on the edge of the bed, the metal springs creaking under her weight. Her eyes searched for something interesting to look at but came up short. "My life story _is_ being a Scout though."

"I told you about my life as Hercule's daughter," Videl countered, "not the _oh he's so amazing and we cook brunch every Sunday_ crap-the _reporters are obnoxious and his lies are killing me_ stuff. Real stuff. _Why_ did you come _here_?"

"Sailor Mars threw a fire dart at a map of the world," Rini said, smiling slightly at the memory. "We barely had a chance to see where it landed before the thing went up into flames."

Videl kicked Rini hard in the thigh, almost pushing her off the bed. Rini yelped in pain and almost made a quip at how strong she was but stopped when Videl delivered another kick.

"I think this is friend abuse," Rini said dryly, swatting Videl's feet away.

" _Shut up_ ," Videl snapped. "I shared my _feelings_ with you earlier, which sucked by the way because feelings suck but hey, I feel better. I _also_ got _shot_ because of you so the least you can do is to stop deflecting and lying."

She gave Rini another hard shove though, somehow, it seemed more affectionate than any of the others. Like an encouraging shove off a cliff. What a weird friendship she had but...Rini liked it.

Rini gave Videl a small smile. "We're gonna have so much fun living together."

" _Talk_."

Rini sucked in a breath and shook out her hands. She felt like she had the day Erasa invited her the arcade for the first time. It was now or never. And really, other than the million things that came to mind when she thought about it, what could she lose?

Certainly not Videl's friendship; she had learned Rini's secret and was now pushing her to talk. To feel better. Not even Rei had been this stubborn.

"I ceased to exist once," Rini blurted. She immediately flushed, her heart hammered. Videl's eyes bugged out but, well, it was out there, so she might as well finish it. "My parents were Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask and, long story short, _a lot_ of people wanted to kill them. Some succeeded but it was always okay because they had their crystals to bring themselves back to life. But...there was a really _hard_ battle once. Papa was thrown in the Galaxy Cauldron, which is the birthplace of life. Once something comes out, you're given life and existence but if you go back _in_ …it was like he never existed, so neither did I."

Videl's eyes were wide. "That's what you meant the other day…'I am something'..."

"I remember it," Rini breathed, "I shouldn't, but I do. I couldn't move. Darker than...anything. Except the demons eyes. Voids of _nothing_."

"'The demons are freaking me out'," Videl quoted again, her voice soft. "That's why you freeze up around them."

"I miss the Scouts and my parents," Rini plowed ahead, shaking her her head of the memories. "They worry, I know they do. But I'm not sure they _get it_ , you know? They all went into the cauldron too but they kept their physical forms. They weren't trapped, they _fought_ in the cauldron. I had nightmares for _years_ and after a while I felt like a burden."

"I'm sure they didn't think of you as one," Videl offered.

"I'm also the moon princess, so you're right about that too," Rini said, feeling sick with that particular truth. Videl dissolved into a coughing fit. "'You have a great and bright future ahead of you, Serenity.' I've heard so many variations of that sentence thousands of the times. When I turn eighteen, I'm going to officially become Sailor Moon and inherit all the powers and responsibilities that come with it. I'm even getting my own advisor and four Scouts to command. It's my _destiny_ , and destiny doesn't wait for things like nightmares and traumas to fade. And while I was waiting for them to fade it felt like every other part of me faded instead. I came here to try and find that again. Be normal."

Silence fell over the room and Rini picked at the sodden blanket beneath her before she frowned and wiped her hands on her pants instead.

"You picked the worst place to be normal," Videl finally said. Rini looked up at her; she still looked a little stunned but it was melting with each passing second. "Don't think I'm going easy on because I was _right about everything_." She gave Rini another kick which pulled a smile to Rini's lips.

"You're so brilliant," she rolled her eyes and then squinted at the black haired girl. " _How_ did you know? Or are you bullshiting me?"

"I connected the dots, idiot." Rini bristled at that but let Videl continue. "You said your grandmother knew Minako Aino so I looked her up-there's a picture of her with her friends in the twentieth century. One of the friends was a little girl with pink hair and red eyes. It's also when Sailor Mini Moon first appeared but she hasn't been seen since-until _you_ showed up. I was just waiting for you to mess up."

Rini blinked several times, barely recalling the conversation Videl was referencing. She had no retort for Videl's detective work other than _shit_ and _duh, should have been more careful_.

The annoying part was that Videl was right. She did feel better since spilling the beans. A weight not quite off her shoulders, but at least shared. From one person with issues to another.

"For what it's worth," Videl said, as if reading her mind, her voice careful and steady. "I was there when my mom was killed. I have nightmares too."

Rini's heart clenched and she recognized the admission for what it was: _you're not alone_.

She nodded and was about to offer a thanks but something- _an energy_ flared outside of the building. Rini jerked her head up, looking toward the city center. Videl sat up, alert. "What is it?"

A second later, Rini shook her head. "I thought I felt…Gohan." The energy was gone as quickly as it had flared. But no, that was impossible. It had to be her exhaustion…

She glanced back at Videl, whose eyes were narrowed in an expression that she knew all too well. She shook her head. "It couldn't be him."

Videl opened her mouth but whatever she was about to say was cut off by Rini once again, this time as she whipped around to the door. They both heard footsteps outside; big clunky steps against hard concrete. Several pairs of shoes.

"There's four of them," Rini whispered to Videl. She sat up from the bed and Videl slumped against the wall, looking the part of an injured girl in pain.

The footsteps stopped the door and the lock thunked to the side and the heavy metal door groaned open. The corridor beyond was as poorly lit as the room so no light flooded in; if anything, it only added to the dinge.

A bulking man with scars crisscrossing his arms and face stepped into the room. His beady eyes landed on Rini and he smirked. "Boss wants to talk to you."

* * *

How do we get Gohan, part time superhero and savior of the world, to stop from saving the day? Guilt trip the _hell_ outta him.

Hello~

This chapter was also crazy hard to write. What else is new? I also debated on whether or not to have Gohan's scene in this chapter and not a separate Meanwhile, Gohan chapter buuut it's an important bit, thus its inclusion.

I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. It's funny to me how everyone likes Erasa and Sharpner because tbh, I _hate_ Sharpner. But, alas, I can't just kill him off, so.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter and please review! I love reading what you think! xx


	11. The Boss

The man yanked Rini out of the room with a force that was probably supposed to hurt but was more annoying for being sudden. But Rini indulged-not him, since she could take him out in a second, but Videl, who she threw a glance over her shoulder as she was led away.

Videl didn't give any reaction, only lay there, watching each of the men with her calculating violet eyes. Rini gave her a sour look, resisting the urge to throw her a vulgar gesture to go with it.

It occurred to her, as she was being led up the stairs, that she had been blackmailed into telling her secret _and_ doing all of the work regarding gathering evidence. Rini's sour mood deepened as she took in every detail of the building-all of the exits, how many men guarded each one, which locks looked the easiest the break, which thugs looked...the easiest to break…

Rini rolled her eyes. For the city's biggest crime organization, they were more like amateurs. She wasn't even _blindfolded_. Not that it would have mattered in the long run. Still, it would have at least saved her from having to endure the leering stares of everyone they passed.

Despite the relative grimy, disgusting state of the basement, the rest of the building was relatively pleasant. Not quite her palace in Crystal Tokyo, but not every headquarters could be that nice. Still, light flooded in from floor to ceiling windows and into the mansion, which was furnished sparsely but effectively. It was modern and sleek; the blacks and metallics in the decor attempting for imposing and impenetrable.

Rini was led-pushed and prodded, more like-up another set of stairs and down another hallway the ended in a great steel door. It swung open the closer they approached, revealing the inside of the door to be padded. Soundproofed, probably, with another series of other security measures on top of that.

The man directly behind Rini, the same who yanked her out of the basement cell, pushed her into the room. The boss wanted to speak to her; this was most likely his personal study, the center of his illicit activity.

And indeed, a relatively young man sat tapping his fingers on the dark wood of his large desk. His chin sat in his other hand and when he saw her, he offered a smile that was both charming and infuriating.

The only thing surprising, that caught Rini off guard, was his youth. He had to have only been in his late twenties. She didn't claim to know a lot about crime organizations but what she had _heard_ was that crime bosses were usually...old. Had he come into this power through an inheritance, or had he built this himself?

From the look of his smirk, she was thinking the latter.

"Ms. Shields," he said in what she supposed was a warm tenor, yet his blue eyes remained ice cold. He gestured for her to sit in the plush arm chair in front of the desk. "Please, call me Ren. It's a pleasure to meet you in person."

She scowled at him and crossed her arms, resolutely standing. "You couldn't knock on my door like a civilized person?"

"You're an interesting girl," Ren continued in the face of her slight. "Absent from your apartment at all hours of the night. Running from school. Where is it that you go?"

Rini's blood ran cold but she forced herself to smile, coy innocence plastered over her weariness. She could play this game again. "Luring me into a friendship won't work."

"Ah, because you don't have many friends do you," Ren said, "Ms. Satan, the blonde girl, and that boy at the arcade." He ticked them off like chores to be checked off.

"And you have a lot," Rini said with a bored roll of her eyes. She looked around the room, settling on the driver who hit her. The smile he gave her in return was so self satisfying that she felt her toes curl in disgust. She looked back at Ren. "But I guess they're expendable, aren't they?"

"My friends receive as well as they give," Ren shrugged casually, "as it is, I'm very pleased with them."

"About that." Rini dropped her smile. "What do you want?"

Ren didn't answer right away. He considered her with an amiable smile that could never reach his eyes. They were too calculating and Rini could almost see the careful thoughts that passed through his mind with each second.

See, but not interpret, even as he leaned forward, entwining his fingers together and placing them on the desk in one elegant movement. The smile held and it was several more moments before he finally spoke.

"You're a very interesting girl." Ren's voice was that of a smooth professional. Rini's skin crawled from those eyes on her. "There's much to want."

It took iron will not to back up a step but Rini's feet stayed rooted to the floor. "I'm as plain as they come."

"But you're not are you? Your leg is perfect after Jon hit you."

"Bonus of being young."

"You come from enormous money."

"Luck of birth."

"And you have extraordinary powers."

The entire room stilled to the point that Rini was sure time itself had stopped. She was vaguely aware of her shallow breathing, her heart pounding in her ears, each beat like a nail.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She barely recognized her voice, strained and hollow.

Ren's smile disappeared and she knew she had lost the game. "Don't you? _Sailor Mini Moon_."

The men, Ren's _friends_ , all vanished from view, the edges of her vision black. There was only Ren, with his charming smile and frigid eyes.

"Did you really think I wouldn't notice-that my boys would look in on the lovely girl with a biting tongue and wealthy parents? What they found was incredible. You didn't think we wouldn't notice you running around the city- _our_ alleys, mind you-suddenly becoming Sailor Mini Moon?"

Rini only stared at Ren. A variety of emotions coursed through her; defeat and resignation that she had been figured out, _again_ -and not even an hour apart. Of course she had been, that was just how things worked, wasn't it? How many times had she gone in a battle and someone had it all figured out...and how many times had she survived just an encounter?

It was laughable, then, that he would mean to intimidate her with his knowledge.

From her defeat surfaced defiance and she narrowed her eyes, her hands clenching in fists as she straightened her shoulders. Yes, she _was_ Sailor Mini Moon, and she had dealt with far worse than this.

"Well," Rini said, spitting out the word, "I guess I can leave then."

She reached within herself for the crystal; the air crackled with her rise in power and the airs on Ren's arms stood on end. The thugs all backed away, some reaching for their guns and whatever other weapons they had. Ren merely leaned back, bored, and crossed his arms.

"I wouldn't," he said, "not if you want to assure your friends' safety, and not if you want poor Mari Bell to see the birth of her first niece. She's due next week, you know."

Rini didn't ease up on the crystal but grit her teeth and stayed where she was. "Okay, I'll bite. Who is Mari Bell?"

Ren lifted a hand in an easy elegant gesture that was the epitome of no care in the world. There was some movement behind her, a door opening. Rini didn't dare take her eyes off Ren and focused only on the energies moving behind her.

A few moments later, a new energy joined them-no, was dragged in the room. The sounds of shoes across a marble floor, smooth and unhindered, met her ears and she turned at last. Two men carried a young woman between them, each with a hand around an arm in a vice grip to keep her upright but also to keep her secured.

The woman's head was lolling to the side, barely conscious. Her eyes seemed lost within her half opened lids so that only the whites showed, and her lips twitched as if trying to give voice to silent words. Her black hair was matted, and a sheen of sweat covered all exposed skin. Her clothes were filthy.

Rini felt her stomach churn at the sight of her, as the men pushed her further into Ren's office and let her crumble to the floor.

"Meet Mari Bell," Ren said, sounding pleased as a spring day. "She's a researcher for Capsule Corp who, unfortunately, was tasked to clean the former Chronos Industrium laboratory. You know the tragedy that befell them, yes? You've been battling the result for the past few weeks."

Ren stood from his desk and came around the desk. He was unhurried as he walked toward Mari and then stood over her. He looked at the shuddering woman as if he were assessing any sort of merchandise. Rini locked her eyes on him, watching his every move.

"A source informed me that the latest demon was also a Capsule Corp employee, part of Mari's same waste disposal group," Ren continued. "It seems that whatever caused the explosion has also infected the group." The smile he threw Rini was cruel, taunting. "Did you also know that?"

Rini smothered the energy she had gathered and the room felt eerily quiet. That's when she heard the muttering that spilled out of Mari's quivering mouth. Rini's eyes snapped to her, her body shouting at her to move away, something was _wrong_.

" _You,_ " Mari breathed she struggled to move her body; she turned her head to toward Rini, eyes that were once a pretty blue smudged with a creeping black. " _So pure_ …"

Rini reacted automatically, her heart breaking for this woman and her Scout instincts pushing forward. She reached a hand out to her sub-space pocket but an iron grip closed around her forearm. She jerked away but a click stopped her from taking the hulking man down.

"I wouldn't, if I were you." Rini took in Ren, smile gone, as he stood over Mari with a silver gun pointed at her. The gun was cocked and his finger rested on the trigger. "You can't tell anyone is infected, not at first. They're fine until they aren't. And Mari's worked so hard to keep the demon at bay. It would be a shame if she were killed before you could heal her."

Rini felt her frustration mounting and her words practically came out as a growl. "What do you want, Ren?"

Ren smiled, like he won something and Rini cursed because he had. He lowered his gun and gestured at Mari; it was quick work to drag her away, back through the door. Rini watched and then snapped her eyes back to Ren.

"Kill her if Ms. Shields tries anything else," Ren said off-handedly, before the door fully closed. He turned his icy stare back on Rini and regarded her.

Rini's stayed utterly still, though her blood rushed through her and her fingers twitched for a good fight.

"What I want is simple," Ren said. He walked over the window on the far side of the room. Through its thick glass was an unimpeded view of the city. He crossed his arms and frowned at the city. "I could do so much but my potential is wasted on this city, overlooked by the world."

Rini didn't say anything. She watched Ren watch the city and when he turned toward her, she knew what he was going to say by the grin that spread across his face.

"My potential is wasted here but then, so are you. You are the heir to a great legacy, just as I was. I made it better. Together, though...together, we could be extraordinary."

"Why the hell would I _ever_ join you?"

Ren shrugged casually. "I can think of a few reasons. One of them is downstairs, another just left this room...and another is a syringe, locked away from the world." He didn't elaborate, instead looking eager for her to guess its contents.

Rini's eyes narrowed. "I'm losing patience. What's in the syringe?"

"Perhaps you need to rest," Ren said, looking vaguely disappointed. "Maybe you'll be in a more agreeable mood. Until then, think. Think of what could possibly be in a guarded syringe." He eyes flicked behind her and nodded.

Rough hands circled around Rini's arms once more and, eyes still on Ren, she allowed herself to be dragged back down to the basement.

* * *

Videl jumped to her feet the moment Rini was thrown back into the cell and the door slammed shut. They were left with a ringing, unguarded silence.

Away from Ren's icy stare, Rini heaved out several large breaths, finally allowing her body to uncoil from the tense restraint she had forced herself to endure.

"What happened," Videl said, her voice urgent and expecting. "What did he want-did you get the recording."

Rini shook her head. "We can't use it, it's no good."

" _What_?"

Rini shook her head again to clear her thoughts; her mind was crowded with them, of how to save Mari, how to get Videl out safely, how to get out unnoticed, how to take down Ren-what was in that syringe?

Absurdly, her brain latched onto the last thing that had happened before she was taken to see Ren. It was a better start.

"It couldn't have been Gohan," she said, as she slowly stood and started pacing around the small cell. Videl watched her with surprised weariness. "He's just a cute dork-really smart, and actually very cute, a good guy."

"Uh, huh," Videl said slowly, her eyes narrowing.

Rini paced some more. "His power level is among the lowest of the low and, like, he can't even play video games, for Kami's sake. There's no way."

"Rini, what happened?"

But Rini kept muttering little facts about Gohan ("he studies late into the night-he shares a room with his little brother"), as if that supported his case in the blip that was his power spike. She shook her hands out, trying to calm the anxious nerves that ran through them, until she crossed the front of the bed again and Videl jumped to her feet.

Videl smacked Rini before she could complete another turn around the cell and Rini froze, her cheek stinging from the impact of Videl's hand.

"He knows," Rini blurted. "About me. About everything."

" _What_." And faster than she could stop her, Videl shoved her hand into Rini's bra and pulled out the recording device. She rewound it and pointed at the bed. "Sit. I'll listen."

"I can't sit." She needed to figure out what to do.

"Then shut up."

She could do that.

Videl listened to the recording, her face turning a increasingly alarming shade of white with each passing minute. Rini, meanwhile, found Mari's energy, flickering back and forth between her own and the wrongness of the demon threatening her.

How did she not notice that before?

Then again, how did she not notice Ren's men watching her?

Rini ran a hand down her face and squeezed her eyes shut. How could everything get so messed up?

Silence enveloped the cell as the recording ended, then, "Ren's a bastard." Videl actually spat on the ground as she said it. Rini could only nod mutely. Videl flicked her violet eyes at Rini. "You know, this doesn't change anything. We're still going to take down Ren-we just have to find Mari first."

Rini snorted. "Right, okay. Escape this room-noticed. Find Mari-unnoticed. Take down Ren's buddies-unnoticed. Take down Ren-unnoticed. Oh wait. Everyone can know about that because all _hell_ will break loose because there's _no way_ we can do all of that _unnoticed_."

"Wow, and here I thought you were a powerful warrior," Videl glared at Rini. "But I guess, nevermind, you'd just rather cower."

Rini opened her mouth, mightily indignant, and ready to defend herself but Videl silenced her with a look.

"Because while _you_ were dealing with the scum of the earth," the violet eyed fighter said, " _I_ came up with a plan, one that will keep us _unnoticed_. Can you do those light blast things like Saiyaman?"

Rini blinked at the sudden question. She _really_ didn't like where this might be going-because ki blasts _usually_ drew notice, which was not what they needed-but she nodded.

Videl smiled, pleased. "Good. You're going to teach me how to sense energy _and_ make the blasts."

"They're the same things, basically," Rini found herself saying. She still didn't like where Videl's plan was taking them but it almost made sense to teach Videl a bit of something, at least so she could make it out alive, because any advantage counted…

"Even better," Videl said. She sank onto the floor and sat crossed legged. She looked ever the serious student as she stared up at Rini. "Take a seat and I'll explain the plan."

Rini hesitated, her eyes moving from Videl to the door and finally in the direction where she could feel Mari. Time was running out-any longer and Mari would very certainly be a demon. They needed to get out. Videl had a plan.

"Fine," Rini sighed, and sat.

* * *

Hello~

Okay. I have a slew of defenses for last chapter and why Rini/Videl did what they did but I don't think it's my job as a writer to do it. You, as the reader, are in charge of your own interpretation of the story and I can't take that from you. I will say, though, that _of course_ Rini isn't going to let Videl get away with blackmail, c'mon ;)

Anyway. This chapter flew out of my fingers. It was quite fun to write. As soon as I got to Ren's intro I realized I couldn't write the stereotypical crime boss that's in the DBZ anime, that's no fun. And so, Ren walked into my life. And he couldn't ask for money, that's too boring. Raise the stakes in writing, they say, and I hope I did that.

Finally, an announcement. First, thank you all so so much for your responses (Sheikah, I missed you!). Second, I'm taking a short break for the month of May. I write in my spare time at work, you see, and I'm taking a lot of time off during the month (holidays, family visits). So that means a lot less writing time. I hate to do this, but I figured I'd warn you while I have the chance.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry not sorry for the cliffy. See you in June! xx


	12. Down Fall

"Videl, we have to go."

Rini paced around the small room ( _cell_ , she corrected herself, as if it even mattered), sparing only the quickest of glances at Videl. The black haired fighter sat cross legged on the bed, her hands cupped close to her body, eyes locked onto them.

Rini winced when Mari's energy once again dipped to an almost untraceable amount, only to flare ever so slightly.

"Five more minutes," Videl grumbled.

It had been five more minutes about fifteen minutes ago, but Rini didn't say anything because doing so would only make both their tempers worse. She opted for more pacing, which did _nothing_ because the room was so small and it seemed that everywhere she looked, Videl was in her peripheral. But it at least got her moving.

It had been twenty minutes since Rini decided she couldn't sit still any longer. Fifty since she decided that staying calm wasn't going to solve anything because they were just sitting in a dank cell…

In summary, it had been an hour since Rini returned from Ren's office and the hour (and Videl) was slowly driving her nuts for the mere fact that she hadn't done _anything_.

Sure, she had taught Videl how to sense other energies; that was a breeze, something a child could do, and she thanked Kami that Videl _had_ picked it up so easily.

Ki blasts were another thing. In the hour that Rini had been instructing Videl on Ki 101, she managed to find about five minutes of peace as a side effect of finding her inner energy. But that quickly evaporated for the both of them the second Videl attempted a blast.

Rini glanced down at Videl again. Videl growled softly and seemed to hold her breath, her body tensing. A second later, a spark flashed outward and immediately fizzled into nothing. Videl's scream of frustration came a second later.

"This is impossible," the blacked haired girl seethed, throwing her hands up in impatience.

"Obviously not," Rini chirped. "If Saiyaman and I can do it…"

Videl's responding glare told her that her sarcasm was not appreciated. Rini sighed. "It just takes practice, like anything else. You can't expect to learn this stuff in an hour."

"I don't want to destroy a _city_ ," Videl let out a huff that blew the fringe of hair from her face. "Just a little ball, a _marble_ , is all I'm asking." She made another sound of outrage.

"Actually, destroying a city is easier," Rini tapped a finger to her chin. "You just hold out your hand and let loose. It's easy to burn out, it takes discipline to keep control, which takes _time_." She looked pointedly at Videl and then at the direction of where Mari's energy was weakly pulsing.

Videl merely narrowed her eyes. "I _have_ to learn this though. The plan-"

"-doesn't change," Rini cut in with a hard voice. "We're just combining roles and taking everyone out on the way. And, now that I'm not _freaking out_ , it's not so dire. We just need Mari."

It was true. Videl's plan was simple, using Rini's ability to simple effect and was so _obvious_ to Rini now that she thought about it. It calmed her a little but only so long as they _moved_ soon.

Videl pursed her lips together and nodded, but the irritated din in her eyes remained. Rini cast another look at the door of the cell and sighed. She reached out and clasped Videl's shoulder in a reassuring but firm grip.

"If you're going to feel incompetent, do it later," Rini said. "You're watching my back, you can't be distracted by what you can't do. Besides, I'll teach you properly later."

After a moment that felt too long, Videl nodded. Rini did as well, and then shook out her hands. The action didn't go unnoticed by Videl. "Are you nervous?"

Rini paused and glanced at the door, waiting for the rush of anxiety to creep through her senses, to choke on her doubts, but it didn't come. Instead, absurdly, only the voice of Sailor Mars yelling at her to _move_ and to _focus_ sounded loud and clear as if they were training that very moment.

"No," Rini answered. "I was trained for this, I'll be fine. I'm more nervous for you and for Mari."

Videl bristled and jut out her chin proudly. "I'll be fine."

"I know," Rini shook her head. "But still, be careful. I don't want to do damage control with your father…"

Something dark flashed in Videl's face but she didn't say anything. Rini simply rolled her shoulders, took a deep breath, and grabbed Videl's hand.

"Remind me to kick your ass later for all of this," Rini said as gathered her energy.

The room sparked pink and Videl gave her a smile like honey. "Yes, Your Highness."

Rini gave her a withering look, coupled with a vulgar gesture, and then teleported.

They appeared in a much nicer room than their own, with polished hardwood floors, dark leather furniture...and several burly men blinking at them with gaping mouths as they lounged in said furniture.

Rini flashed them a peace sign. "Hey, guys."

In the center of the room, on the dark wood floor, Mari writhed against whatever demon was within her.

"What the-" The man didn't have a chance to finish; Rini and Videl leapt into action, the latter rushing at the nearest thug and knocking a booted foot into the side of his face. He fell to the ground in a mess of bulky limbs.

Rini went left, slamming her body into a green haired man raising a gun. He grunted, trying to grab her, but she used his momentum to flip him, his gun falling into her hands and then her sub-space pocket. While he was still down, she brought a small marble of energy to her finger and fired it at him, knocking him unconscious as it his head.

She turned; Videl had taken out another man and was in the process of a third. Rini raised both hands, white energy flaring at her fingertips and she released them one after the other. Like little comets, they flashed through the air until they came in contact with their targets. All four men, with strange, pained looks on their faces, dropped to the floor.

"Ten seconds," Videl panted, hands on her knees as she surveyed the room. "Not bad."

Rini hummed in agreement and relief, though they both fell into silence when their eyes landed on Mari. Her back arched toward the ceiling, her eyes wide and unseeing. Rini's blood chilled as she spotted the black seeping into them; it seemed to be spreading little by little, from her clenched hands to the corners of her mouth.

Over Mari's whimpering, Videl whispered, "heal her."

Rini nodded, unable to take her eyes off the struggling woman. As if it could sense her presence, Mari-no, the demon inside Mari stilled and slowly turned to face Rini.

" _Pure_ ," it hissed at Rini as it jerked Mari's body forward so the woman's hands were flat on the ground, arms raised to support her. It crawled toward Rini who stared down at the creature before her. " _Pure one…"_

Rini closed the distance, not wanting Mari's body to continue its pitiful crawl across the floor; four quick steps saw her standing half a foot away. Rini closed her eyes and took a deep breath, willing the pink crystal's power to her fingertips.

Mari wasn't fully a demon yet, she should be able to pull from the crystal, to purify the struggling woman and yet...nothing came. No pink sparks, no swirls of colorful light; only a burning sensation against her palm that wasn't quite as strong as a full demon.

"What's wrong," came Videl's voice when nothing happened. Rini didn't miss the slight worry coating her words.

"Nothing," Rini snapped, removing her hand from Mari's head. She pushed into her sub-space pocket, the movement quick and rough, as she pulled out the moon tiare. "Just failing at my job is all."

Like the magic it was, the tiare easily connected to the pink crystal, drawing out whatever power Rini was denied. The demon within Mari shrieked for all of a second when the light from the tiare filled the room and when it receded-Mari lay collapsed on her stomach, body quiet and still.

"Can you imagine if she had fully turned," Videl said darkly as she kicked the closest fallen thug. "These idiots wouldn't have been able to control her."

Rini didn't want to imagine it. It was lucky that she was there, despite what they wanted to tell themselves about how they were so important, trying to take over the world. Idiots, indeed.

"What do we do with her," Videl said and then bent to pry a pistol out from a clenched hand. "And these."

"She can't stay here," Rini agreed frowning. She put that tiare away and pulled out her mother's old Luna Pen.

Videl quirked an eyebrow. "Going to ask pretty please to not hurt her?" Her flat tone was decidedly unimpressed.

Rini shot her a glare and clicked the pen and said, in an equally flat voice, "Luna Pen, turn me into someone who doesn't throw _sass_ at her friends."

Videl snorted but her eyes widened as a small _poof_ of smoke surrounded Rini. Rini looked down at the outfit Luna Pen equipped her with and almost groaned: black high heels and a sensible pantsuit, with her hair in a long single, black braid.

"I wish I had my phone," Videl said, her lips twitching as she beheld Rini. "Is this what they wear in Crystal Tokyo? That place screams _no fun_."

Rini stuck her tongue out. "Shut up. You're no better with your morning interrogations." She picked up a long rifle from the table (they really _were_ idiots) and shoved it into her sub-space pocket. "Give me those."

Within a minute all of the weapons in the room were stored in Rini's pocket, Videl dubiously asking how much she was able to fit in there exactly ("a lot"). When Rini bent over Mari, still unconscious on the hard floor, Videl almost jerked forward, as if to stop her.

" _Relax_ ," Rini said, hoisting the woman over her shoulders. "I'll be back in a second."

It was easy to pull some energy to teleport across the city to the furthest hospital and drop Mari off in front of a bunch of nurses, all wide eyed and gaping mouths. It was easier still to take that same energy and teleport back to Videl a moment later.

Not easy, apparently, to purify demons.

Rini managed to put herself in a foul mood in the approximate three seconds she was gone. Or maybe it started when she tried to heal Mari, or even when Ren decided to show her his insanity. Videl definitely took notice of the shift but only marked it with a raised brow.

Rini only stalked to the door, shaking of Luna Pen's glamour along the way, and kicked it open, half with her own strength and half with an energy blast. The response from the guards outside was immediate, with shouts coming from every part of the building.

"What the hell," Videl sputtered as she came up beside her. Her violet eyes weren't displeased, however. "I thought we had to do this _unnoticed_?"

"Overrated," Rini muttered.

Videl gave her a side glance but didn't say anything, at least not about Rini's change in mood. Instead she closed her eyes for a few beats and opened them, nodding out the door. "There's twelve guys headed this way, seven on that side, five on that."

Rini sensed them too and she flexed her hands, bring out more glowing energy to her fingertips. She went left, deciding on taking out the seven first. "Wait here," and, before Videl could protest, she added, "until I take out their guns."

But Videl shook her head and started for the right; Rini reached out to stop her but Videl skipped out of reach with a determined look flashing through her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm going to try something," and with that she took off at a run, before Rini could yell at her that _somethings_ were not good, ever.

But she was around the corner, and the other seven were edging closer. Rini let out a sound of frustration, half growl, half wail of despair, because _why Videl_? She glanced left again and went.

She wished she could sense the metal weapons, cold and lifeless as they were. It would sure make her job easier because rushing toward piercing danger wasn't exactly a walk in the park. Her stomach and feet rebelled with her as she rushed forward, coming around the corner an instant later. How could Videl do this almost every single day?

No time to wonder though; the men rushing toward Rini stopped as they caught sight of her, gaping mouths and sneers as they raised their guns.

Rini didn't let them utter a single warning. She fired each of her energy balls, barely having to aim in the close quarters. The men let out cries of pain as the energy balls hit their hands, burning perfect little circles into their skin. The guns fell from their now open hands, clanging to the floor like large metal flies.

Some had the sense to try and pick them up again but Rini willed a larger ball of energy into existence in both palms. The white light gave off a slight thrum as she raised her hands at the men, slightly pleased that each one was sweating, either with nerves or from the heat radiating from the raw energy.

"Against the wall," she ordered and was pleased again when they obeyed with wide eyed silence. She shoved each gun into her sub-space pocket, out of sight, and when she reached the other side of their line, she turned back to them and extinguished her energy balls.

And then the whole building rocked with some explosion. Rini stumbled and glared in Videl's general direction.

" _Something Videl_ ," she shouted, along with a scathing oath, hoping that the fighter could hear her, wherever she was. She looked back at the men in her hall, still standing with their backs rigid against the wall. Another explosion, smaller this time, shuttered, and Rini rolled her eyes.

"Try not to be assholes when you wake up," she said, ignoring the now indignant sneers before her, and fired a little energy marble at each one. They dropped as easily as their guns and then she was off.

She should go back for Videl; she should _definitely_ go back for Videl. Each step in the opposite direction, each one that took her further _away_ from Videl felt wrong, but somehow Rini sensed-probably from her own _real_ sense-that Videl would be okay. Videl could take care of herself.

Another explosion caused Rini to swear and skid to a stop. Videl could probably take care of herself _if_ she didn't burn herself out first.

The hall opened itself up, one side still white wall, and the other split by the black rail of a mezzanine overlooking what must be the front entrance of the mansion. It was far more grandiose than the rest of the mansion: imposing white and black marble; large double door with wrought iron creeping over in thick vines; two black tables boasting well appointed vases filled with lush arrangements.

Not to mention the dozen of raggedly dressed gangsters all aiming their guns at her and firing. Rini, heart leaping into her throat and stuttering to a stop, had all of half a second to leap back and duck behind the rail.

Bits of plaster and debris rained down on her and she stared at the opposite wall, counting her breath and not the bullets that buried themselves around her, but not into her. It dawned on her for a second that she should be thanking Ren for building a mansion with bulletproof walls.

Eventually, the rain of bullets ended as each shooter ran out of ammunition. Rini took a breath and her chance, jumping to her feet and sending energy marble after energy marble down to the foyer, each man making a groan or yelp of surprise before he fell with a thump.

As soon as the last man is down, Rini checked that Videl was still pulsing an energy somewhere, and continued, only to meet another four thugs.

Rini groaned and let four more energy marbles fly and then hurried to step over their fallen figures.

It occurred to her, in that vague sense that crept to her during a surprise question on an exam or when pleading to her parents to let her do _that one thing_ (like attend a public school), that she had no idea what she was doing now. Sure, as she ran through the halls, firing energy marbles to and fro, she knew _what_ to do, but implementing a coherent plan was another matter.

Clearly Videl's plan to use stealth was out. It was Rini's fault, she knew that. But, she thought as she ascended a familiar staircase, taking down more nameless thugs, stalked down a familiar corridor, Ren was still in the building. So there was that, at least.

Halfway down the corridor, Videl appeared, followed by an explosion as she tossed something bright and round behind her. The fighter dove forward as debris blew out, and then landed, arms spread out before her, in front of Rini.

Videl gave her a sheepish smile that Rini noted was a little shaky. In fact, all of Videl seemed to be pale.

"We're the worst infiltrators in the world," Videl said, stumbling to her feet, obviously trying to lighten the mood.

Rini squinted at her, eyes roving over Videl's body, taking in the slight tremble and pallid skin. "Told you it was easy to burn out. How did you figure it out?"

"Well," Videl brushed off the bits of mansion and dust off her clothes, looking a little proud, "I figured if I could make a mini explosion in my hands, I could make a bigger one. Less controlled, remember?"

Rini pinched the top of her nose and sighed, but she couldn't help the tug of smile on her lips. "I'm so glad you don't take chemistry."

A movement at the end of the hall, where Ren's door stood closed and imposing, caught Rini's eye and she turned to see Jon, tall and muscled, and cracking his knuckles as he stared them down with fire in his eyes.

"Oh, hey, Jon," Rini called out. Videl straightened beside her. "Hope you enjoyed my inheritance money while you could. Today was your last day for it."

"You're a naive child if you actually believe today is the last day for any of this," Jon shot back and then charged forward.

Rini did too, though she was much faster than him. She dodged the fist he threw at her, grabbing his wrist as it whizzed past her ear, and bending it behind him. She kicked the back of his knees and he went down, but not before twisting his body around.

He reached for her with a snarling curse but Rini knocked him away with two small energy blasts and pinned him down with another at his throat, feet on either side of him.

Behind her, she heard the sounds of Videl in a scuffle of her own but the fighter seemed to have things under control if the cursing and cries of pain from her assailants was any indication.

"Sailor bitch," Jon spat at her, face bright red in rage. "Did you forget the syringe? We'll still be here, even if you lock us away."

Rini resisted cringing at his saliva attack and instead calmly placed an energy marble over his mouth. "I may be an _optimist_ on a good day but I've played this game before. I won. Every time."

Jon's replying smirk-knowing and threatening-was just infuriating enough that Rini extinguished her energy marble and opted for a sound pouch that wiped it clean off and him out cold.

"Real man, my crystal," Rini grumbled as she stood. She looked over her shoulder to see Videl hurrying over from a pile of downed guards.

Rini heaved out a sigh and held up a hand to point at the door behind her, although it was a little unnecessary because _of course_ a big looming door would be where the big boss guy was hiding. She wasn't expecting Videl to grab hold of her hand and yank her into a run for the door.

"That's him, right," Videl nodded to the door, which was not swinging open like the last time Rini saw it. But, behind it, Rini could sense Ren-could sense him as he moved about the room and then moved away.

Rini nodded and realized that Ren was most likely moving because he was finally making his escape. Rini picked up the pace and set off an energy blast that was slightly larger than a marble at the door. She was pleased when the following explosion produced a large hole just wide enough for Rini and Videl to slip through. Apparently he didn't take actual superheroes into account when he designed this place.

Ren's office was empty of people with the exception of Ren himself. Everything was as orderly as could be, not a paper or ornament out of place. Ren stood behind his desk, single briefcase in one hand, gun in the other.

"Hey, Ren," Rini sang out, not even blanching when he, with refined dignity, calmly lifted his gleaming silver gun at her. "So, I thought about it and decided you're an insane person."

"What a shame," Ren replied, eyes still hard and icey. "We would have made quite the team. You could have kept Ms. Satan at your side."

Rini opened a palm, glowing energy filling it, and stalked toward Ren. He merely narrowed his eyes, unfazed by her slow approach, cocked his gun-and fired. Rini was gone in a flash, the bullet only piercing the air where she had once stood. There was crack as the bullet buried itself into the bookcase at the other end of the room-the same time Rini reappeared, mere feet from him.

Ren's eyes flashed, the only sign of surprise he gave, before he lifted his gun once more. Rini smacked his hand away, her energy ball searing Ren's wrist and he finally let out a yell of pain. She backed him into the bookcase with yet another energy ball, her other hand closing around his neck.

She studied him for a minute; the cool glare of his eyes, the strong set of his jaw, and his unwavering stance, feet planted firmly in the carpet. Where his entire ring of thugs and criminals had trembled before her, he was defiant.

"I think I get why people follow you," she told him, "but you're an _idiot_ if you actually thought you could blindly recruit me."

Ren's lips curved into a smile that held no humor or even a glimmer into his thoughts. "And I know your type. You can't resist the threat; _what is in that syringe_. If I can't have you, then perhaps I can haunt you."

"Where is it, Ren?"

Ren merely smiled and then grimaced; not from the pressure of her hand gripping his neck, or even the burning heat of her energy. No, the air around them shifted, crackled, and Rini narrowed her eyes as she watched Ren's darken.

"Rini…" Videl's warning barely registered, not when Ren spoke again.

"Such a shame," Ren said and Rini froze because it was not his voice, not really. It was a voice from decades ago, a voice that haunted her dreams long before the empty void did. "I almost had you, _pure one_."

Rini faulted, almost taking a step back as Ren's eyes flashed a dark, amethyst black and then suddenly her hand was burning where it touched his neck. She cried out, releasing him, and stumbled back, while _he_ stumbled forward.

A black aura seeped out from him and Ren grunted, his face twisted in pain and something like glee, as if he were gathering it from within. As if he were finally giving into the madness he let inside himself in the first place.

And maybe he saw something like dawning horror on her face and Videl's because that smirk was back, looking wholly wrong with the darkness limning him.

"He was glad to take me," Ren's said, the demon inside warping his voice. "My ambition-we share it. You're a fool, Serenity Shields, to deny this power."

"No. I'd never ruin my soul," Rini whispered, reaching into her sub-space pocket for the tiare.

Ren held out a hand, a dark orb forming in his hand, and fired it at her. Rini grit her teeth, bracing herself for burning impact, when Videl darted forward, hand thrust out, and fired a wild looking energy blast at the same time.

Rini's fog of terror lifted slightly to appreciate Videl's energy blast. The two crashed together in a blinding explosion that knocked the two girls back and into the bookcase lining the other side of the wall. They groaned as books, in various sizes and binding, rained down on them.

And then it was silent.

Rini, back throbbing from being thrown into a solid wooden shelf, forced herself up, shoving aside Ren's collection of morally gray titles.

Beside her, Videl also stood, two or three coughs emerging from her as she held her side. "Can we kick his ass now?" She was even paler than before.

"Sure," Rini squinted around the room, some of the dread evaporating from her to be replaced by shameful relief. The smoke cleared from where the two blasts met, and the now crumbling office, grand desk in pieces, greeted them. "If you can find him."

Ren was gone. The shameful relief...she was glad she didn't have to fight him now. Her earlier panic from having to rescue Mari and take down the entire Orange Syndicate seemed nothing compared to the panic of not being _able_ to fight its boss.

Its boss that was currently possessed by some lingering shard of Pharaoh Ninety's spirit. _Of course_.

"Where'd he go?" At least Videl sounded robbed of their fight. One of the good guys had to be, Rini supposed. "I can't sense him."

Rini's eyes fell on the very back of the room, behind the desk, where a hidden door had popped out of the bookcase. A clean escape. The shame tripled; she couldn't fight this guy, couldn't use the crystal, couldn't even _capture_ him.

"He's not dead," Rini said, moving toward the desk. "Sorry, but your energy blast wouldn't have killed him. He's just...somewhere else."

"He can't be far," Videl suggested, one foot already going toward the open door, thankfully not offended by Rini's remark.

But Rini shook her head. "No one can suppress their energy to zero, it's impossible unless you _are_ dead. We'd at least sense that little bit of him, if he were close. He's not but, if I know anything about these guys, it's that he's at least still in the city."

"How'd he do it? Teleport?"

Rini rubbed her temples for a moment before yanking open a drawer in the splintered desk. "Honestly I wouldn't be surprised at this point. Or he flew? I don't know..."

"It'd be better if he were dead," Videl kicked at the fallen books. "Then the syringe could just sit and collect dust, forgotten."

Rini groaned, adding that to the list of her troubles. But, her hoped flared slightly, as she yanked open another drawer, and found a white cell phone with silver moons on the case. She scooped it up and tossed it to Videl.

"Call the police," she said, falling into what was left of Ren's chair. "At least they can take in Ren's Idiots."

* * *

Meanwhile, Gohan had given up paying attention to anything his teachers were saying. He lost track of which subject they were on a while ago; only a voice, indistinguishable over the noise in his head, floated to him from the front of the class.

Beside him, Erasa was still a bundle of nerves, relating any updates she had (there weren't many) of the situation in a near whisper. He had no idea what she was saying; her voice, the words she said, also lost their meaning as he stared out the window, in the direction of Rini and Videl.

In the direction of Rini and Videl's energy spiking and normalizing at random points. In the way that _normal_ humans did not do. In the way that he and the others did with their energies.

But...that couldn't be right, could it? It wasn't.

Videl was a fighter, sure, but she was also of the Hercule School of Denial and thought ki blasts were tricks. Until, Gohan's brain helpfully supplied, recently. But she couldn't have learned _that_ quickly, right? Because she didn't have anyone to train her…

There was _no way_ Rini could do it either. She was...she was...a seemingly normal girl just like he was a normal boy. A normal girl who stood up against gangsters; who was unfazed by _cars_ hitting them; who snuck out of class just as often as he did.

But...if she...and if Mini Moon…

Gohan's eyes bugged out as he considered the possibilities. Examined the facts staring at him.

There was _no way_.

So focused was Gohan on this that he didn't even notice Rini and Videl's energies appearing until the door burst open with a loud bang. Conversation ceased and Gohan looked up through his thinking fog to see Rini and Videl themselves standing in the doorway, looking fresh and not at all like one of them had been shot earlier that morning.

He blinked, comprehension for what he saw a mile away, until Erasa jumped out of her seat and _squealed_. The sound was piercing and Gohan winced but his eyes stayed locked on the two girls.

Videl looked harried, her face a scowl as she regarded Rini and then the class, before resigning herself and making her way to her seat. As if Rini had dragged her here by the arm. Erasa immediately met her on the stairs flanking the desks and enveloped her in a massive hug which Videl reluctantly returned after a moment's pause.

Rini, meanwhile, held a large cup of coffee and was hurrying over to her own seat, dodging Erasa's crushing grip. Her school bag was nowhere in sight but she inexplicably held a bright pink pen in the other.

She sank into her seat beside Gohan and turned to him with wide ruby colored eyes, anxious and exhausted and said, "did I miss it? Did I miss the chemistry test?"

"Uh, no," Gohan said, glancing at her from head to toe. It wasn't every day your kidnapped friend returned to school _after_ the kidnapping with so much as a _it was so scary_. "Next class."

Rini took a breath and fell back in her seat. "Oh, thank the Dragon."

Gohan sucked in a breath as a switch was flipped in his head. The _Definitely Not Normal_ switch.

 _No way_.

* * *

Power makes people go crazy, yo.

*bangs head on desk* Is it over? Is this chapter done? Okay good. Hello, I'm baaack and _you guys_ , this was hard to write. Not because it was _difficult_ , it was just _so hard_ to get my head in it. Why? Because I (finally) finished FFXV and I'm neck deep in the feels and fics. Hopefully I pulled my shit together well enough for a decent chapter.

In regards to Videl: she's able to gain flight in, what, one lesson? And make a little energy marble thing in the same one? I figure she could totally do more after her adrenaline kicked in.

Anyway, thanks for reading and enduring the wait! xx

PS, this is originally what I wrote about Gohan before I did the Writer thing and ya'know, wrote stuff:

~Meanwhile, Gohan is having an aneurism trying to figure out wtf is happening with Rini and Videl~


	13. A Sky Turned Black

The official story was this: concerned for the health and safety of the daughter of Earth's Savior, Sailor Mercury tracked down the two kidnapped girls, and with the help of Videl, took down the Orange Syndicate. The mysterious girl who teleported to Orange Hospital, unconscious girl in tow, was a member of the Imperial Sailor Agency.

There was, of course, admiration for Videl, brave as she was. She was a true master of her father's teachings. Mr. Satan bestowed endless praise onto his daughter, saying that he would have _surely_ rescued her himself but knew _in his heart_ that she was more than capable.

Rini, meanwhile, experienced an upswing in popularity once it hit news channels that the other half of the kidnapped party was the daughter of the head designer of Moon Bunny, famous fashion brand. It was no stretch, then, to surmise that the Orange Syndicate was merely after Rini _and_ Videl for their money, and how awful for they seemed like such _wonderful_ young girls.

Rini snorted every time she heard that one.

The _truth_ of everything, however, was vastly different than the official story. Rini and Videl obviously couldn't leave the mansion without some sort of story because they weren't about to out themselves. Hence why Rini whipped out her Communicator and _begged_ (much to the delight of Videl) one of the Sailor Scouts to take credit.

Mars and Jupiter laughed in her face. Venus looked mildly disapproving for just a second...before joining Mars and Jupiter. Mercury took pity on her, dropping in at the mansion right as the police arrived, posed for a quick photo, and then teleported right back out.

Videl enjoyed her own fame for all of a second before donning her usual scowl and changing the subject. Her skill was noted but, as usual, it was Hercule who took the credit. Videl showed up at Rini's the same night of their escape, bag perched on a shoulder. Rini immediately showed her to the guest room.

And all the while, their friends refused to leave their side, even when a swarm of paparazzi hovered outside of their school and the arcade. At least Ryo didn't seem to mind, claiming it was good for business.

It seemed that things were settling down. Sure, it took Rini a little longer than usual to fall asleep, plagued as she was by all of the _unsettled_ things in the city. She harbored a lingering fear that she'd be outted by any of the Orange Syndicate members in police custody. Or that Ren would find her...or she'd wake up to find the city turned into demons...or Gohan things.

They were in the arcade, a few hours after school had ended on Friday night. They had long since finished their after school snacks and the remnants-glasses filled with melted ice cream; French fry crumbs; the lettuce from Rini's burger; globs of ketchup-were scattered between their textbooks and notebooks.

Rini nipped at her pen, her eyes roaming the textbook before her, and wrote something down. A second later, her eyes flicked up to see Gohan's black ones staring at her before quickly darting away to his own textbook.

Rini pursed her lips and swallowed. She was about ninety percent sure he had stared at that same page for thirty minutes now. She knew, based on the perfect score he had received on their chemistry test, that he was a smart guy; he didn't need to read the same page fifty times to understand it.

Something was going on through Gohan's head. Something that had become standard over the past few days. It was unnerving. A little irritating, and a lot confusing.

Gohan's eyes weren't moving; they seemed locked on the same spot in his textbook. Rini tapped her pen on the table for a second before going back to her own textbook. Two seconds later, Gohan lifted his eyes.

Rini stilled, eyes now going to the burnt fry neither of them wanted. She tapped her pen again, like she was thinking, but the little char of potato was her anchor as she watched Gohan from her peripheral.

Two second later, Gohan opened his mouth. Rini held her breath...and then almost snapped her pen when he closed it immediately.

Standard practice. She lost count of how many times he had done that. Maybe a hundred.

Rini stared at the small lump of black fry for a few seconds longer before letting out a great gust of a sigh and going back to her textbook and- " _Ahh!"_

"Are you going to spit it or what?" Sharpner appeared, hanging over the top of the booth, wearing an all-knowing smirk as he glanced between Rini and Gohan.

"Spit what out," Rini glared, hand over her racing heart.

Sharpner jabbed a finger at Gohan, who looked startled at the sudden accusatory gesture. "He's been staring at you every chance he gets and he can't get a single word out. It's obvious he wants to ask you out."

Gohan turned a deep shade of red. "I _what_?!"

If there was ever a time that Rini wished she could reveal herself and teleport away, now was _it_. Because Sharpner wasn't _really_ doing this, was he? She glanced around his large arms for Erasa and Videl but they were immersed in their game, backs turned as they threw shade and insults at each other in loud voices.

The worst part was she was _trapped_ by Sharpner and the window on her other side.

"Lemme help you out," Sharpner continued, leaning forward further and grasping Rini's shoulder. She froze and had no choice but to cast pleading eyes at Gohan, who only stared in ever increasing horror. "Will you put the guy out of his misery and go out with him?"

"How about putting me out of _my_ misery and _shut up_." Rini's own cheeks probably matched Gohan's and she sank into the booth a few inches.

Sharpner, however, was either oblivious in their mortification or reveled in it because he said, "stop playing coy, you guys are perfect for each other. You're both super nerds!" He glanced between them with that smirk of his, like they should be proud of whatever dots he connected.

"Er. Thanks, Sharpner," Rini started, the flush in her face _not_ leaving, "I guess. But actually-"

"Actually, I did want to talk to Rini," Gohan interrupted and then snapped his mouth closed, looking vaguely sick.

The warm feeling flooding Rini spread from her cheeks to everywhere-down her chest, where her heart skid to a stop before jump starting tentatively. Not her hands though; they were stubbornly cold and moist. She quickly wiped them on her pants.

"That's the spirit, Son," Sharpner reached over for a fist bump that Gohan did not return. If it were any other situation, Rini would have snorted.

As it was, Gohan looked didn't even acknowledge Sharpner and Rini kept eyeing Videl and Erasa's backs, hoping that they'd turn around and save her from this awkward hell Sharpner had created.

But then Gohan said, "can we have some privacy, Sharpner?"

And Kami help her, Sharpner's smirk grew and he actually saluted Gohan as he rose and then gave Rini a wink. As if he played wingman or something. Rini threw the charred fry at him and was pleased when it left a black smudge on Sharpern's white shirt.

But facing reality...Rini turned back to Gohan and took a breath, only to release it in a shaky laugh. She winced.

"Soooo," they both said at the same time. Rini bit her lip and gestured for him to go first.

Gohan looked tense. That made two of them. "How do you know about the Dragon Balls?"

Rini sat ramrod straight. She opened her mouth. Closed it. Squinted at Gohan. "Wait, what?"

She expected to feel relief, at least, for Sharpner being _completely wrong_ but...well, something felt _off_ about this.

"The other day," Gohan hurried to explain, "you said 'thank the dragon'. What else is that supposed to mean?"

"Wait-how do _you_ know about them?"

Sharpner was so wrong. She spotted him on the other end of the dining counter, talking to Ryo about something. When she caught his eye, raised his brows suggestively.

Rini scowled and turned back to Gohan, who was now leaning in closer, and she could almost see the chocolate brown in his eyes but she blinked as the current situation crashed down on her.

Gohan shook his head, a wistful look overcoming his features. "My family has an interesting history with them."

"Please, regale me with tales of your family exploits," Rini said in a dull tone, closing her textbook with a snap. "What did you wish for?"

Gohan looked momentarily panicked before he let out a loud laugh. "Uh. _Stuff_."

"Uh huh." Rini shoved her pen back into its case and closed her notebook. She stacked everything and placed her hands on the table and stared at them. "So. Why should I tell you everything when you won't even answer that?"

"Because I think Sharpner's right. We're more similar than I thought."

Rini's knuckles were white. Sharpner was wrong but he was right, just not in the way that left her alone with Gohan in this stupid booth, amongst all the dirty dishes and their schoolwork.

Rini picked at a nail and swallowed the lump that had formed somewhere in her trail of thoughts.

Arcades and milkshakes and sticky vinyl booths. Her dreams were plagued with black voids and monsters, and insane crime bosses hounded her and yet...she had routine had become an anchor in the whirling events of the past month. Every night, the world narrowed to this one point, this one booth and normalcy.

And fucking Sharpner was the catalyst for it crashing down.

Or maybe it was her own stupid fault, a slip of her tongue; her exhaustion. The secrets in her life catching up to her.

But, wasn't this what she wanted?

Rini looked back up at Gohan, how he was worrying his own lip as he leaned over the table, shoulders hunched and arms close to his side. She was used to Gohan being awkward and stammering but this marked his uncertainty better than any of his head scratching or blurted chuckles.

Maybe the guilt was crushing him, too.

Rini stood, her knees crashing into the table, clattering the dishes against each other. Gohan jerked back, startled, as Rini shoved her things back into her bag.

"I can't do this right now," she said, slinging her bag over her shoulder and throwing some bills on the table.

"Wait-Rini." Gohan also stood but she was halfway through the arcade.

Rini called out a goodbye to Erasa and Videl, even though she would see the latter later, and slugged Sharpner in the arm as she passed him. His indignant squawk was a welcome distraction from Gohan.

She made for the door in a few pathetic skips; it was a miracle the glass didn't shatter with the force she slammed into it. Ryo called out to her to be more careful but she only sent him a wave in apology.

At some point in the evening, the wind had picked up, bringing dark clouds bloated with rain. The downpour was imminent, as evidenced by the scattering of heavy raindrops falling on Rini. The wind was brisk and Rini hurried her steps to match it, wishing through blinking eyes that she had thought to bring a jacket.

But then, she wished she had done a lot of things so this was par for the course.

When she heard Gohan's rushing footsteps a second later, she was already at the intersection, where the red crossing sign and oncoming traffic barred her from going further. She thought fleetingly of dashing to the other side anyway, but then warily remembered the last time she had crossed the street illegally.

Rini shoved her hands in her pockets, chin raised high in determination to ignore the boy behind her and the rain and the wind pulling at her loose hair. Something akin to hope flared in her when the traffic light switched to yellow and after a few seconds paused, switched again to red. She made to take a step, her foot lifting from the ground-

Only for her arm to be caught by a large hand. She jerked, a cry of surprise escaping from her lips as she turned. Despite only being outside for a few moments, her arm was already slick with rain but Gohan's grip was strong.

It was still early in the evening, barely sunset, yet the oncoming storm darkened the city and cast shadows all over them. Even with the passing cars and their bright headlights, Gohan looked grim even as he looked beseeching.

"Rini," he said, taking a few steps forward to close the distance between them, rather than pull her. He wasn't even out of breath. "I, uh...remember when I said Bulma knew about the Red Ribbon Army? It was because she was looking for the Dragon Balls the same time they were. She knows how they were defeated because her best friend was the one responsible."

Rini knew what he was doing and she would be lying if she said it wasn't working. The invisible wall around them cracked, even more so when Gohan plowed on.

"The best friend was my dad." Gohan blinked, as if also surprised he revealed this. "Uh. Mom's not the only martial artist in the family."

Gohan laughed nervously and it was enough for Rini to take a step back. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because." The grip on Rini's arm relaxed. "I trust you. I feel like you get it-the strange family, the secrets, no one your own age…you get it, don't you?"

Rain splashed on Rini's face with increasing frequency and her skin shivered where the cold wind hit it. But not where Gohan's hand wrapped around her arm, no that was warm. Everything about Gohan pleaded with her to come closer, if not physically, but mentally.

The crossing walk light flashed and chirped behind her in a last call and Rini pulled her arm from Gohan's. She took another step back.

"I do," she said, gripping the strap of her bag. The fringe on her forehead stuck to her face from the rain. "I get it, but I can't do this yet. Not yet."

Another headlight shone over Gohan, his arms hanging uselessly at his sides. It was brief, but she caught the disappointment pulling him down before she turned and ran.

Rini ran all the way to her apartment building, the clouds above her finally opening up in a downpour that soaked through her clothes and probably her bag. It was easier to think of her ruined notes and soggy textbooks than it was to think of Gohan standing in the rain.

She avoided her reflection in the glass doors of her building as she swiped in and again in the elevator mirrors. She was grateful that Videl was still at the arcade. It meant no one was around to see her sink to her apartment floor, her back to the door and a long wet trail following her down, and bury her head in her arms.

The demon flared to life a few minutes later.

* * *

Saiyaman was acting strange.

To be fair, Saiyaman's strange levels were already off the charts compared to normal people, so it was hard to gauge exactly where he fell on said chart, but...maybe acting like a normal person _was_ strange for him.

He had flown in seconds after she and Videl did and asked for a situation brief, voice quiet and stoical as he kept his body facing away from hers. Mini Moon quirked a brow but didn't comment, choosing instead to gesture broadling at the scene before them.

The demon had appeared, either by design or coincidence, in the bar district a few blocks from the business district. Favored by men after a long day's toil in finance and cut throat deals, it was often bustling from early evening to early morning. The presence of a demon and downpouring rain, however, had rid the district of its usual patrons.

Several bars had already been destroyed and when it spotted Mini Moon, it stopped and regarded her for a few seconds. Long enough for Mini Moon to look away with a shiver that had nothing to do with the night's chill or rain.

"You know," Mini Moon said with a roll of her eyes. "The usual."

"Right."

Saiyaman took a step forward, still not looking at her, and Mini Moon blinked. And then, even though time was of the essence and the demon could destroy another bar any second, she reached out and stopped him with a hand on his arm.

Saiyaman stopped and then, finally, glanced back at Mini Moon. She couldn't see past the visor but the tilt of his head and the pull of his lips suggested an air of disappointment.

It felt odd, especially when he said, "I'm fine, _Mini Moon_."

He gave her another long look and Mini Moon felt strangely like she were standing before one of her parents or palace senior staff. She let go of his arm, heard Videl mumble something but didn't catch what because in the blink of an eye Saiyaman was at the demon, pummeling it with one, solid punch. The force sent the demon flying down the street in a tumble of limbs and...did not stumble back to its feet.

Instead it lay on its back in the road, its black body in queer contrast to the colorful reflections caused by the neon signs against the pools of rain. Like a hole in the road, another void.

Mini Moon, Videl beside her, felt her mouth drop open.

"You couldn't do that _before_ ," Videl yelled out to Saiyaman, who merely offered a single indifferent shrug.

"No fun." He glanced again at Mini Moon, still too long and still too disappointed. "You gonna heal it?"

There was definitely something _off_ about Saiyaman, but then, that just seemed to be the theme of the day. Still, Mini Moon bristled at his comment, even though it was _good_ that the fight was short. She nodded, and pulled out the tiare and let it and the crystal do its work.

The rain's dark shadows did not detract from the brilliance of the tiare's lightshow but rather enhanced it along with the neon lining the streets. And, when it cleared and a human lay in place of the demon, Mini Moon allowed herself a small smile.

She turned to thank Saiyaman, no matter his cool attitude, when a thunderous _crack_ pierced the air, echoing through the suddenly silent street. The hairs on Mini Moon stood on end and she spun toward Videl, instinct telling her to check on her friend but the fighter was staring back at the unconscious man, her mouth agape and her face so very, very pale.

"There," Videl pointed in a urgent voice, and Mini Moon looked past the man, across the street and saw a dark silhouette disappearing into the shadows of an alley.

Faster than a blink, Saiyaman was gone, at the shadowed man. Videl rushed forward also and through her still ringing ears, Mini Moon heard her call out.

Mini Moon shook out her shaking hands as she told herself that Videl was fine, that she wasn't hurt, but as she moved forward, she suddenly understood why.

Videl crouched beside the man that Mini Moon had healed and pressed her hands at his side. Mini Moon followed suit, dropping to her knees without a thought to the dark red puddle under staining her uniform.

Videl's eyes met Mini Moon's, large and pleading, the panic within palpable. "Heal him."

But Mini Moon's hands were already reaching for the man, one brushing his soaked blond hair from his smooth face, the other wedging itself under Videl's and over the wound. Even as she did, even with the pink crystal's power surging through him, his ki was a flickering ember, weakened from the demon she had just purged.

And blood, so much blood.

A lump formed in Mini Moon's throat and she swallowed it away, biting her lip to keep it from trembling as she pressed against his side, harder. She summoned more of the pink crystal's power but it felt like a stone within her. Cold.

"Come on," she whispered, pressing harder. "Come on…"

The man's blood made a long streak on the street. There was so much of it but Mini Moon kept her frantic eyes on him.

Videl realized it, from the way the blood continued to ooze, before Mini Moon allowed herself to. "Why isn't he healing?" She sounded fearful, utterly helpless.

The crystal had it's limits, Mini Moon realized as the pink light flickered, and she had just used a large portion of what she _could_ access. This was...she bit her lip harder to keep from crying out in frustration. She was too slow; too inexperienced and this man…

Videl did make a sound, despairing, denying, as she too felt the absence of the man's ki. It stretched between the two girls, somehow louder than the gunshot. As if in apology, the pink crystal pulsed once and then it fell quiet.

Mini Moon placed a hand over her heart, the other over her mouth, and stared at the lifeless man before her. She felt frozen, yet every inch of her shook and she felt her eyes burn.

Through the fog of it all, she heard Saiyaman behind them, dragging the shadowed man toward them. One of them moaned in pain and she knew it wasn't Saiyaman. Something heavy and metal landed beside Mini Moon; the shooter's crumpled gun.

"Who are you," Saiyaman demanded and when the assailant didn't answer, he asked it again, cold and deliberate.

"A reminder," the attacker said, his voice a vicious sneer. "From Ren to the Sailor bitch. He's still out there."

Mini Moon squeezed her eyes shut and held in the sob that threatened to emerge. Of course it was Ren.

Saiyaman, apparently satisfied with this answer, knocked the guy out and tossed him on the street in a crumble. Videl immediately stood, cell phone already in a trembling hand, and called for medical help.

Mini Moon listened to Saiyaman take a deep breath and then walk around Mini Moon until he was in front of her. She opened her eyes to see his black visor inches away.

"Is he…" Saiyaman didn't need to finish his question, and she knew he didn't need her answer to confirm what he did not sense.

Mini Moon shook her head and stared down at the red staining her gloves faster than the rain could wash it away. "I should have trained harder," she breathed. "I should have _pushed_ the crystal more, _made_ it listen to me. Instead, I came _here_."

Saiyaman's own gloved hand reached for hers and she let him, the weight of him a warm comfort. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is," she sighed. "The pink crystal _chose_ me, I should be able to wield it. But it...has a mind of its own. I can heal impurities, fix nonlethal wounds, but anything else and it…"

"We'll use the Dragon Balls."

Mini Moon's head jerked up. "How do you…"

Saiyaman gave her a lopsided smile that was at odds with the situation. "I'm not all brute strength. I have _some_ magic up my sleeve."

Mini Moon withdrew her hand. " _No_."

That was apparently the wrong answer. Saiyaman grew rigid. "Why not?"

"Use them on one person?" Mini Moon rose to her feet; Saiyaman followed. "What about when something else happens and more people die? We'd have to wait a _year_ before we can wish them back."

"Nothing will happen. The world is at peace."

Mini Moon wished she had his certainty. "Okay. So that's why there are gangs around the world and some androids almost destroyed it. That's why the Sailor Scouts train every day-not to defend against the next threat, but because we're at peace."

"He didn't need to die," Saiyaman said roughly. "He can still come back. What about his family?"

"You heard what _he_ said," Mini Moon jerked a finger at the still unconscious shooter. "This isn't over yet and who knows what'll happen before then."

"Mini Moon?" Both superheroes whipped around to Videl who had apparently finished her phone call. Videl's violet eyes wearily looked from Saiyaman to Mini Moon.

Saiyaman did the same and Mini Moon saw something in his body snap to attention, and then he gave a bitter laugh. "She knows who you are. Ren-the crime boss, right-he knows too. But you _told_ her."

"Who I reveal my identity to isn't your business," Mini Moon said, looking away from Saiyaman and at anything else-the water soaked banners and bright bar signs. "It's not like we're friends."

Saiyaman was quiet but he stared at her long enough to make her look back at him. His lips were pursed and he had that vaguely disappointed air about him again and he said bitterly, "No. But we could be. Because you _get it_."

Mini Moon's heart stuttered to a stop at that. She glanced at Videl but the fighter could only shake her head wordlessly, not from refusal at his words but from that helplessness that Mini Moon also felt.

"You don't want to use the Dragon Balls? Fine." Saiyaman crossed his arms. "But you better trust me soon so we can stop this from happening again."

More than the shooter's words, Saiyaman's felt like a warning, a familiar one that seemed to have happened days ago. She watched Saiyaman rise into the sky, lips pulled down into a frown at her, and as he hands dropped down at his sides, she thought of Gohan also standing in the rain, telling her he trusts her. That he gets it.

She blinked rapidly, not from the rain, but as the realization flipped a switch within her. _No way_.

* * *

~you have no control who lives, who dies, who gets wiiished back~ Ah, I love me some gray areas.

Ya'll there's more to a plotted story than power levels, c'mon. I literally wrote up a two pages about this in my notebook but here's the short version:

1\. Rini don't need no man to teach her shit. *z-snap*

2\. Gohan _is_ more powerful than the demons (as seen above), he just doesn't want to blow up the fucking city so he shows off. Er, _holds back_. Sweet tempered as he is, he still likes to play. Rini uses the crystal for most of her power but she can't do Big Stuff because it'll fucking kill her. Also it doesn't cooperate. At her base, she isn't really that powerful.

3\. There are guns in the anime and Videl's learning abilities are canon, the end.

Anyway, thanks for reading/reviewing, love you all xx


	14. In Darkness, Lurking

The sun shone through the edges of Rini's curtains, suggesting the previous night's rainstorm had long ended, and eliciting a groan from Rini herself. After a long night of sleeplessness, tossing and turning, and a demon's hissing playing like a broken soundtrack in her head, the last thing she wanted to greet was the morning.

At least it was Saturday. At least...

Rini blinked, though not at the bright room. She sat up slowly, her body feeling vaguely weighted, not quite right or bad, as she focused on the ki signature outside of her building.

By the time her visitor made it up the elevator and at her door, Rini managed to negotiate herself out of bed and into a lavender robe. She opened the door before he even raised his hand to knock, but if he was surprised by her awareness, he didn't show it.

Rini regarded him, tilting her head up several inches to do so. She took in his silver hair hanging in loose curls; the bright, gold of his eyes, like a dawn; the tailoring of his gray suit.

Rini let her eyes droop; she didn't get nearly enough sleep to deal with this. "Morning, Helios."

"Good morning, Princess."

His voice was crisp, suggesting his visit wasn't a social one, and she debated shutting the door in his face and crawling back into bed. He stared back, unflinching, before her manners finally won over and she pushed the door open wider and retreated into the kitchen, leaving him to follow. She made a vague gesture at the dining table and he sat, watching as she prepared a well needed cup of coffee.

"Want some?" She held up an extra mug.

"Please," Helios said, "and do you have those horrible toaster pastries?"

Rini rolled her eyes but pulled a box of PopTarts from her pantry and popped them in the toaster. They were, apparently, Helios's one vice in his long existence. An existence that finally seemed to be on a regular course as he was no longer trapped in Elysium or by Nehellenia. The defeat of the latter lifted the time block upon him so that he could finally age into a proper adult.

Rini lit a candle and did the few dishes in the sink while she waited for the coffee and PopTarts, all the while aware of Helios and his appraising eyes. She thanked the stars for her relative tidiness, though she was still acutely aware of the few imperfections: the rumbled pillows and blankets scattered about; the sock that had escaped her laundry basket; the ridiculous bust of Sailor Venus that Mina had gleefully presented her with as a housewarming gift.

Of course Helios's eyes landed on the bust longest.

"I didn't buy it," Rini offered as explanation, moving to the toaster when it dinged.

"And yet you proudly display it on your fireplace mantle," he replied in a mild voice.

Rini scowled as she plopped the PopTarts on a plate, poured them both coffee, and put cream and sugar on the table. Helios thanked her as she set his mug before him. She had just sat down opposite him when a movement across the living room caused them both to look up.

Videl made her way from the guest room, clad in a pair of shorts and a tattered t-shirt that had definitely seen better days. Her hair was surprisingly neat and she stretched her arms leisurely before placing a hand over a yawn.

"I thought I smelled coffee," Videl said at the end of her yawn. When she lowered her hand, she blinked at the scene before her. "Who are you?"

As per Videl, the words were a bit harsher than most were probably used to, but Rini now knew it was merely guarded, rather than rude.

Helios glanced at Videl, took a sip of his now creamed coffee, and looked back at Rini, brow raised. Waiting for her to take the lead on whatever lie she wanted to use. Subtle, she thought with a snort.

"She knows," Rini said, scooping a generous heap of sugar into her coffee. At Helios's continued silence she added, "she knows _everything_."

Helios made a sound that was probably disapproving but he turned to Videl with an amiable smile anyway. "I am Helios, high priest of Elysium and advisor to His Majesty, King Endymion, and occasionally to her Highness here."

Rini made a face, wrinkling her nose in distaste as Videl's eyes popped open and she froze in her tracks. "Do you have to say it like _that_?"

Helios took another sip from his mug. "Like how? With some authority? Someone around here has to possess some."

Rini, her head now in her arms and one finger circling the ring of her mug, said in a flat voice. "Careful. Your salt levels could rival the Dead Sea."

Helios grabbed a PopTart from the plate and tore off a corner with a small smile.

"Er." Videl looked between the two, a little dazed. "I can get my coffee to go if this is official, er, palace stuff."

" _No_." Rini turned her head, her single word muffled by her arms, but forceful enough. "You wanted in, you're in. You don't get to back out now."

"Princess."

Videl wavered in place, turning a bit pale. "Woah. Please don't call her that."

"It _is_ her title," Helios stated importantly.

"Yeah, but like. It used to be some abstract, throw away comment. Now there's proof." Videl gestured at Helios.

Rini turned her head to the side, catching Helios's eyes burning into her. "Don't give me that look. I'm allowed to befriend who I want."

"The choice of friends isn't what bothers me," Helios broke another piece off his breakfast, muttering about a lack of security clearances, "it's what, apparently, led to _how_ they were made and the lack of strategy in _dealing_ with those events."

"We're _fine_ , Helios."

"Which brings me to the purpose of this visit," Helios breezed on. "You have, indeed, fought valiantly and brought minimum damage to the city, with a focus on protecting innocent citizens. It's commendable and their Majesties are quite pleased with your performance."

Videl, despite her still frozen legs and pale face, flushed in pride. Rini steeled herself and stared at the white wall as she waited for the other half of Helios's appraisal.

" _However_. You have been grossly negligent in your duties as a Sailor Scout, Highness. No communication with the city police, no reports to your superiors-yes, she has those, Videl-zero phone calls to your _parents_. What's this about the Orange Syndicate? Although that's hardly important compared to the fact that a victim died in your arms."

Rini felt a pit open up inside of her as the events of the previous night played out. And, Kami, the rest of everything. Spelled out before her, her _shortcomings_ were only reworded failures. She swallowed the lump in her thought, not able to meet anyone's eyes.

She felt Helios stare at her and then his sigh, heavy and full of _disappointment_ (sweet crystal, how she was tired of that) and that weird desperation of a friend at their wits end. Videl's footsteps padded across the floor and Rini thought briefly that she was finally excusing herself to leave Helios that privacy he needed to further tear her down.

That didn't happen. Videl poured herself a cup of coffee and returned to the table, setting the mug down with a heavy hand so that the liquid sloshed inside, and then plopped herself into the chair beside Rini.

"Don't worry about the police," Videl said with her usual air of confidence. It wasn't off putting, but rather welcome. Authoritative, just like Helios. "I've been dealing with them. They know everything I do, although it's probably a watered down version of what _you_ know. If they're bothering you, just direct them to me."

Helios blinked very slowly and Rini's lips quirked into a little smile. She sat up and took her mug into her hands again.

"See, Helios? She's practically an official liaison."

Helios stared hard at Videl and she once again proved Rini proud as she sat still under the scrutiny. Finally, Helios sighed. "I'll expedite some paperwork to at least _make_ it official and cover our tracks. As for your communications with _us_ , Highness…"

Rini rolled her eyes. " _Fine_. I'll write you guys reports."

"Wait, _paperwork_ -"

"Yes, you'll receive a stipend for your efforts, Ms. Satan. No, it does not include health care benefits." Helios ignored Videl's sputter in favor of Rini again. "Yes, reports would be a great start. In time for your visit next week."

"Wait. Who says I even _want_ to be your liaison?"

"Maybe you shouldn't blackmail me next time," Rini said darkly into her mug. "And I'm not going, Helios.

Videl tossed a glare at Rini while Helios's brows rose up to his hairline. "I would very much like to hear about this blackmail. But for now let's focus on your visit."

"I only _suggested_ I'd slip out Mini Moon's identity," Videl huffed, though she did look a little shamed in the face of Helios's unimpressed stare.

"I'm not going," Rini repeated again. "I've got too much to deal with here."

"And what, pray tell, _do_ you have to deal with?"

The two girls shared a look. Videl gestured for Rini to take the lead; Rini heaved out a great sigh and chugged the rest of her coffee.

"Well," she began, clearing her throat, "it all began with some overly ambitious scientists."

Helios listened with all the poise and solemnity that befitted his station as royal priest and advisor. Or, at least, he tried very hard indeed; the twitch in his eye belied the temper that was broiling in his brain. When at last Rini finished, he sported an interesting shade of pink from trying to suppress everything.

"Princess," Helios said when she finished, mirroring the same sigh Rini had released at the start of the story. He sounded pained. Rini jumped up to refill the coffee maker because, well, they could both use it.

"Rini," Helios started again and she paused spooning the grounds into the filter. Her eyes flicked to his but darted away just as quickly. He didn't use her nickname often. "Rini, _why_ didn't you come to us?"

Rini ferried more coffee grounds, muttering a quick curse when several escaped the spoon and scattered on her white counter. "This is my city, my problem. I have to learn this stuff eventually, anyway."

"No, you don't." Helio's voice was hard, commanding. "We have Scout teams for a _reason_."

"Well, I don't have mine yet."

"We awaken them early."

"And drop them, untrained, into this mess? No thanks."

"That's how you learned."

"I was, like, _seven_. Why is that the standard protocol of Scout training, anyway? Dropping inexperienced school girls into world saving scenarios."

Rini was vaguely aware of Videl watching them, her eyes round and curious and shifting back and forth between them, like the world's most interesting tennis match. She looked _brimming_ with questions, too. But then, that was to be expected with Rini openly discussing matters that were _normally_ crown secrets.

Normal. What a novelty.

Rini slammed the lid of the coffee maker shut and turned sharply, crossing her arms as she leaned into the counter.

"You need help," Helios said, not unkindly. "And there are _trained_ Scouts ready and willing to provide it."

"I don't want it," Rini told her wall. Softly.

"Your pride will only cause more damage," Helios continued. "Material or human. This man-Ren, was it? His message is clear. He will be back, and he will destroy what he must. You _have_ to end this."

"It's not a matter of pride," Rini snapped and ignored the cold rush that came with Helios's reminder. "Just...give me a week. To figure things out."

Only then did she dare to look back at Helios and even Videl. The latter, of course, looked ready for a fight now that her coffee was kicking in. Helios, as ever, looked considering. She often wondered what went through his head when dealing with her specifically but had never worked up the courage to ask.

It was just as well, because she didn't want to know what he _truly_ thought of her one-week timeline. Rini knew what _she_ thought about it (that it was insane and probably completely unreasonable and not at all thought out and what was she _doing_ ) but Helios was the advisor. He knew things.

"And what do you propose," Helios challenged, ready to put that knowledge to the test.

The kitchen filled with the sounds of the coffee maker gurgling and Videl wordlessly handed over the empty mugs for her to fill, though it was clear her interest was definitely piqued. Well that was good; she would need to know for official liaison duties.

Rini squeezed her eyes shut and pinched her brow. So _not_ normal, and no time to think if any of it was a good idea.

She added a careful amount of cream to her coffee, letting Videl and Helios reclaim their respective mugs. And with a last sigh, she turned and went back to the dining table.

"Capsule Corp," she started, once she was comfortably in her seat, knees tucked up in front of her. "All the demons have been Capsule Corp employees."

"And they've been tight lipped about each one of them," Helios smoothly cut in, as if anticipating this.

"For legal reasons," Videl supplied, reminding them both that she had her own connections. "Or so they say. And there's no way the police red tape will clear in your one week deadline."

"Ugh, why'd I say that," Rini grumbled.

"Because time is of the essence. Don't back out now."

Rini glared at Helios but cleared her throat. "Right. So. They're being difficult, red tape takes ages, so. I'll just. _Acquire_ it from them."

Helios had the grace to not even lift a brow because of course he knew what was coming. Videl, however… "How?"

Rini coughed. Looked at her coffee. "Er. Through my training and means that I will _not_ say so you can claim plausible deniability."

Videl's features flattened and she rolled her eyes. "You're going to break in."

"Princess, that's a terrible idea."

"Then please, O Great Advisor, tell me of another way to find potential victims in a classified record with an airtight team of lawyers. Don't say Mercury."

Helios closed his mouth.

A beat. Then, from Videl, "you can't go alone."

"Yes, I can."

"Besides," Videl said with some puff of importance, clearly enjoying being in on the secrets for once. "We already have an in with Capsule Corp."

Rini squinted at her. "We do?"

"Gohan!"

Rini shook her head vigorously. "No. _No_. Not him."

Videl immediately shifted into Suspicious Videl, taking Helios with her. She leaned across the table, tilting her head to the side as she turned over Rini's words and the flush now creeping on her cheeks. "And _why not_?"

"Who is Gohan?"

"Rini's _boyfriend_ ," she said, knowing exactly the affect she was having on the princess. "He asked you out, right? How'd it go?"

Rini sputtered out her coffee in a pathetic dribble of liquid. " _Oh my god_ ," she wailed.

Helios was wholly unaffected by her embarrassment and said cooly, "shall we be having a family dinner in the near future?"

The thought of Gohan in the Crystal Palace, surrounded by the life she kept secret, with servants and guards...her family (and yes, the Scouts and various advisors stood in that number)...and her in a gown. Well, he'd look good in a tux but-oh, the Sailor Scouts would give him hell if they found out he might be-

Her brain short circuited and she melted onto the table, head going into the safety of her arms as she turned beat red.

"No. That's- _no_. Didn't ask me out," she managed, her voice working on a miracle. "I'm going to kill Sharpner."

"Well, we all saw Gohan run after you last night," Videl crossed her arms, head high as though _she_ was some authority on the situation. "And then he came back looking like an abandoned puppy." Rini wasn't entirely prepared for the _highly_ accusing poke Videl delivered to her arm. "What did you do to him?"

" _Ow_ ," Rini rubbed her arm. "Nothing. He, er, wanted to talk. Get to know me. I told him not yet."

"So he _did_ ask you out!"

" _No_." And then, because she realized she was heading into a lie zone, and because Helios looked ready to get back to the matter at hand and this _mostly_ relevant, said, "he wanted to know how I know about the Dragon Balls."

Helios looked _very_ interested at that. "And how does _he_ know?"

"Family history. Later, Videl."

Helios tapped his chin thoughtfully and then something clicked in his mind. "The Son family?"

"Oh great, they're famous," Rini muttered, though her mind was racing. Likewise, Videl's eyes were wide as saucers and Rini could practically see the calculating thoughts flashing through them.

"In certain circles, yes," Helios nodded, though he chose not to elaborate, despite Videl and Rini leaning forward intently. "I'll not reveal his secrets, but you should talk to him. Now, about this plan of yours."

They spent the rest of the morning debating Rini's plan. She refused to bring Gohan into it, preferring instead to go under the cloak of night ("less people on the compound").

Videl was convinced Gohan could still be involved, to make at least part of it legitimate ("how? By inviting myself for dinner and then a sleepover?").

"And what will you do once you have the names," Helios asked once it was settled that yes, she _would_ sneak in at night. Alone.

Rini chewed on her lip. "Teleport them to Crystal Tokyo? Mercury can keep an eye on them. Free vacation at Sailor Mercury's Center for Demonic Possession."

Helios actually rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you're at least allowing us to help in that regard. I'll inform Mercury."

"Do I get to know who the Sailor Scouts are," Videl cut in, not even bothering to hide her curiosity.

"That's need to know," Helios said. "You don't."

Videl let out an indignant huff; Rini didn't bother to point out that she technically already connected the dots on that one. She changed the subject instead. "So about finding Ren…"

* * *

Rini collapsed on the couch beside Videl. The afternoon was fading into a golden haze across the city and broad ribbons of light stretched across her white carpet through the blinds. It was the kind of that that begged for a fruit pie or homemade cider.

Helios had been ushered out a few minutes earlier, notebook (that he pulled out of his own sub-space pocket) filled with notes. Not that there was much to record. She'd be in and out as quick as possible.

As for Ren...well, offering herself up as bait was easier than people thought, especially if meant the city's safety. Helios had objected but relented once she promised the Scouts could intervene if things got too out of hand.

Videl was staring at the wall opposite them. Rini grabbed a pillow, a plushy yellow star that had been a gift from Artemis, and hugged it.

"Is this your life," Videl said into the quiet.

"You can say no if you want," Rini replied, referring to the liaison thing. "You don't have to do it."

"No, I'll do it." Videl's voice held steel. " _Someone_ in my family has to do the right thing."

A part of Rini, the part that hated this life and all the went with it, that hated everyone getting dragged into it, was relieved to hear that.

"Why'd you have to be so scary?" Rini reached out and gave Videl's knee a playful nudge. "We could have been friends a long time ago."

"I wasn't the one being a shady new student," Videl said. Rini wasn't sure if she was serious or not, but she still smiled.

* * *

It was well past midnight before Rini slipped from her apartment, Luna Pen in hand. The lingering scents of freshly baked apple pie, spicey and sweet, followed her as stepped into the elevator.

Shortly after their moment on the couch, Videl sighed and said she'd better call her dad to touch base. Rini didn't mean to overhear the conversation but, well, the apartment was only so big...she wasn't convinced Hercule Satan even knew his daughter had temporarily moved out…

Meanwhile, Rini had slipped into the shower and, after making herself decent, decided to make the pie the day begged for. It was enough to satisfy the need for normalcy and kept her hands and mind busy, though it didn't last long when Videl returned to the kitchen and peppered her with questions about royal life, the Scouts, Helios ("so, like, is there a _story_ there?", to which Rini flushed and said it was a just childhood crush), and training.

Videl wanted training and she wanted it yesterday. Rini talked her down with a promise of _after Ren is taken care of_. But still, the questions kept coming.

"How'd you guys figure out the energy thing," was one that came early on.

Rini had paused in her dough kneading and thought. "I think it's always been around, it's just who learns the technique and passes it down. Jupiter taught us after going on a spiritual journey around the world...she still won't tell us who taught _her_. I think she just likes feeling important."

"And those Dragon Balls?"

Rini added a dash of flour to the dough. "Magical orbs that grant a wish to anyone who gathers them. They're scattered around the world. I've never actually seen them."

"Was that how everyone came to life after the Cell Games? Why weren't you there?"

Rini nodded and beat the dough into a ball, and then grabbed the rolling pin. "I was still in the past. I didn't find out about them until after everything was said and done."

Eventually, the pie was made, dinner was eaten, and the girls settled back onto the couch. Rini suspected that Videl was doing her best to stay awake, either to talk Rini into letting her go to Capsule Corp as well, or at least to see her off. Unfortunately, Videl wasn't quite as skilled at staying still _and_ awake as Rini was and dozed off just after midnight. Rini finished the movie they were watching before slipping out the door.

A brisk breeze had drifted into the city, bringing a chill that caused goosebumps over Rini as she walked a few blocks away from her apartment. It was quiet, hushed in a way that made her uneasy for there was nothing to distract the thoughts and doubts from creeping into her.

Rini stopped as she rounded another building, putting a hand to the red brick. She blinked a few times, rapidly, to clear the burning moisture gathering at her eye's edges. It was fine, almost scary in its ease, to be around the others. She could pretend that a man hadn't died in her arms, that she wasn't being threatened by a madman. Par for the course, after all.

Still. She cleared her throat and looked up at the sky, clear and lovely even with the city lights burning bright. A sliver of moon hung in the sky, steady and soothing. She swallowed and took a deep breath as she transformed ("stealth, Luna Pen") and silently teleported.

* * *

Capsule Corp was, mercifully, quiet. Rini kept her energy as low as she could manage in case...Gohan…

She shook her head. It was still too ridiculous of an idea to be taken seriously but it was also scary how easily the dominoes fell to support the idea. Best to take precautions. Even if it did make her feel a bit empty.

Of course the front gate of the compound was locked; Rini got around that by simply hopping over it and that was that. She dashed over the expansive lawn; during the day it would no doubt be a perfect green but in the light-less night, it was a dull gray.

When Rini reached the nearest window of the great round and domed building, she peered inside and was mildly surprised to see an ordinary living room. Well, ordinary was a bit of an understatement for the richest woman in the world; Rini could clearly make out the black outline of the biggest flat screen TV she'd ever seen.

Rini crept away, keeping to the many shadows on the compound as she darted from window to window, looking for the business section of Capsule Corp.

It was strange how quiet the compound was in the wee hours of the night. Satan City had shared a degree of the same quiet when she had left but in the background, there was still the hum of the city, some car's engine or laughter from a bar. This, at Capsule Corp...nothing. Not even an owl hooting or cricket chirping.

And, she realized when she finally found an office on the west wing of the building, no security cameras. Despite the late hour and despite being the most secretive and private tech developers in the world, Rini spotted absolutely zero red blinking lights. Not even the flash of a lens.

The realization made her pause, _should_ have made her reconsider, but she instead took a breath and thanked her lucky stars. And then she reached into her sub-space pocket for the small device Ami had gifted her with months ago and pressed the small screen.

Ami, in her infinite genius, had created this to wirelessly disable any alarm within a ten mile radius with some science that went a little over Rini's head. _Apparently_ she had stronger ones but felt that Rini would only have need for the most basic of them.

Rini's hands, gloved in black, were lost in shadow as she tapped at the screen...and then almost dropped it when nothing appeared for it to disable.

Rini let out a wisp of air that seemed too loud in the still silence and craned her neck to peer at the building at her back. What kind of place didn't have security cameras or even an alarm system, _especially_ when the place was Capsule Corp itself?

The windows the building were black and smooth and the silence...it felt wrong. A warning sign. She looked back out at the empty lawn, the shadows pooling at the bases of the shrubs and bushes. She felt her own heartbeat, heard its _thump thump_.

Warning sign or no, she had to do this. Rini turned and, based on instinct and the lack of security, put a hand on the cool glass of the window. It opened without a creak, granting her access. She turned and gave one more sweeping look over the lawn, and climbed through.

The only sign that the office was indeed in Capsule Corp was the sleek high end projector sitting in an alcove in the corner. A large table sat in the middle of the room with several ergonomic chairs tucked underneath. A small conference room then. No computers.

Rini slipped from the office, taking care with the door. She crept as quickly as she could down the corridor, eyes straining in the dark, peering in office windows and reading the name plaques nailed to the walls outside.

Maybe it was the ease with which she had entered the building that made her pride sing _I told you so_ 's to Helios. She dashed through the corridors, feeling the thrill of it all. She had a prize in mind, and that prize was Bulma Briefs's computer. She almost felt guilty, stealing from a friend of a friend but, well, lives were at stake.

Rini's experience with compound business and family residence buildings came from the Crystal Palace but they were essentially the same: the family residences were never on the same wing as the business, and Big Offices were never on the first floor. Rini took the first flight of stairs she saw and headed up. The handrail was cool and her footsteps, try as she might, echoed ever so slightly in the concrete stairwell and she made a note to slip through a window on her way back out.

Rini peeked around the door of the second floor stairwell, looking in vain for any security cameras or people. There were none and her heart fluttered at her luck once more. She slipped from the stairwell, closing the door before it slammed shut on its own, and made all of ten steps before a voice from the shadows stopped her cold.

"Who the hell are you?"

Rini whipped around to the voice, menacing and full of gravel. Its owner, clearly male, was bathed in black shadow only twenty feet away, but she could make out a pair of crossed arms, bulking muscles straining. She blinked and let out a gasp when she _sensed_ the power that emitted from him.

It was a power much higher than her own and she took a step back, blanching as he uncrossed his arms and took a few toward her.

"Well, girl?" He stepped into a beam of nightlight, his face coming to view. His eyes were narrow black beads and his mouth a thin sneer as he regarded her. "Care to explain your presence before I blast you away?"

"I…" Rini's voice caught in her throat.

Warning bells pealed in her mind, telling this- _this power_ -was why Capsule Corp didn't bother with a shred of visible security. She took another step back, her blood now ice and her heart racing at speeds she didn't think possible.

She quickly glanced to her left, at the windows that lined the corridor.

The man's eyes followed her and growled as he sensed what she was contemplating. "I don't think so."

Faster than she thought possible, faster than even Saiyaman, the man rushed for her. With a yelp, she ducked out of his path, barely fast enough, and jumped back several feet. He stopped with more grace and control than she had in the moment.

Rini stared at him, every inch of her trembling, her mind a dull void as she tried to figure out _what was going on_? Her hand twitched pink sparking spurting forth, the crystal sensing her fear.

The man's eyes narrowed and his lips turned up into a smirk as he felt the flare of her power. "So, the thief has teeth? Shall we see how sharp they are?"

He summoned two orbs, one in each hand, and stalked toward her. Rini's eyes widened and she swallowed, her throat dry and her breathing hitched, as time slowed.

Her eyes widened and she took several more steps back, trying to put distance between her and the man, his energy orbs bright as two suns and thrumming with more raw power than she had ever felt.

The crystal flared again and she seized its power, drawing as much as it would give. He was very much capable of ending her. She couldn't die; she had a job to do and what would her parents say if she failed?

He laughed at the pink limning her and in the sound alone chilled her very soul. He raised his hands and released the white hot energy at her.

Rini, with thoughts of her parents and home, raised her own hands and _flung_ her own energy, the pink power of the crystal, at him and…

Everything froze.

The man's energy blasts hung in mid-air, inches from Rini and behind them, the man himself. Both frozen in the same pink aura that had limned Rini moments before. Illuminated by the energy blasts, Rini saw the man's smirk slowly twist into an an angered sneer, his arms straining against the power that held him.

"Sorry," she blurted, flushing both from the use of her power and from the absurdity of her statement. "Sorry. I...bye."

Taking her chance, heart still pounding, Rini dove for the nearest window, not even bothering to open it. She crashed through it instead, the glass cutting little slivers into her flesh but she didn't cry out or wince, not as the ground drew closer with each inch she fell.

She rolled when she landed, her body protesting as it slammed into the grass, and she quickly reached into her sub-space pocket for her transformation brooch.

Transform and get the hell out. Hopefully Mini Moon's glamoured energy would put him off hers until she could get back to Satan City. She pushed off from the grass, her body rising effortlessly into the air and she sailed back over the compound wall, dropping into the shadows of a tall tree.

Her transformation was quick and silent, hallmarked by the usual lights, and she dove back into the pink crystal's reserves for more power to teleport. She looked up, to glance back at the compound for the man, but something else stopped her.

For the second time that night, she froze. The world stopped.

Gohan stood ten feet away, shadowed by another tree. He stared at her, level and calm, even as she felt as though her entire essence was on fire.

"Rini?"

Rini blinked, all of the air in her lungs expelling in one crisp curse. " _Shit_."

A roar exploded from within the compound. Gohan turned toward it with wide eyes, his body dropping into a defensive stance. And Rini, grasping at the crystal's power, took advantage of his distraction and teleported.

* * *

My notes for this chapter began with "Administrative housekeeping and maybe the dumbest idea ever". I'm absolutely playing fast and loose with the legal side of the demon attacks so just assume that most of it is happening off camera. None of that is exciting anyway. The Sailor Scouts are legit wondering wtf is going on though, and I really wanted an appearance of someone from Rini's other life to drop in and touch base (because gah, _talk to people_ , Rini), hence Helios. Furthermore, I would literally fight Vegeta for a PopTart right now which is why both appear (s'mores, for the record). Never ignore real life influences in your writing!

For funsies, Alternative sass comebacks:

" _The Dead Sea called, it wants its salt back."_

" _Wow, a 90's joke, how hip of you."_

" _Salt belongs in the sea, H."_

" _So many flavors, H."_

Anyway, thanks for reading, I hope you liked it, please excuse my terrible technobabble, I am just a humble English teacher!


	15. Normality

_Rini._

 _Rini can we talk?_

 _Vegeta isn't going to hurt you._

 _Rini we_ really _need to talk_.

The messages all arrived in Rini's phone in quick succession, four _pings_ that alerted Rini that she had very well been seen, that isn't just foolish wishful thinking that maybe, just maybe, Gohan _hadn't_ seen her. It also alerted Videl, who came rushing into the living room where Rini stood in the middle, scowling at her phone with a still shaking hand.

The fact that Rini didn't leave her skin behind when she teleported was a feat that kept her mildly calm; being able to do high level magic was somewhat comforting given the events that just happened. It was better than say, being blasted away by some growling demon man lurking in the shadows.

And who the hell was Vegeta? Obviously, he was the demon man but _who_ was he? And how did Capsule Corp get a hold of him _and how did Gohan fit into it all_.

Rini squeezed her eyes shut as Videl spoke; she distantly heard the fighter ask how things went as she dropped her phone to the plush carpet and scrubbed at her face and then wove her hands into her hair.

"Didn't get it," Rini said, her voice sounding rough, hollow.

She opened her eyes as the new failure washed over her and she cursed and shook her head.

"What happened," Videl demanded again.

"I didn't get it."

Her heart still stuttered out a pace that was lightening quick; Rini placed a hand over it and tried to slow it, taking deep, deep breaths. Everything felt wobbly. Videl crept closer and poked her.

" _Ow_."

Videl was unimpressed. "What happened? Why do you look like your life was threatened?"

"Because it was!" Rini twisted away from Videl and proceeded to pace across the length of her living room which really wasn't that long, maybe she should move out and get a bigger apartment. In another city.

Far, far away from that psycho at Capsule Corp.

On Rini's second pass across the room, Videl grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.

"Seriously." Videl looked worried now. "What happened."

"Did you know that Capsule Corp doesn't have any cameras or alarms because there's some crazy asshole doing it all for them," Rini said, ripping away from Videl. "I'm about ninety percent sure he tried to rip my face off. He definitely wanted me dead, anyway."

Rini started pacing again and it was only Videl's small sound of realization, akin to _oh shit_ , that made Rini stop and stare at her. Videl looked sheepish and very pointedly avoided Rini's searching eye contact.

"Actually, I sort of did know that."

"You couldn't mention that _earlier_?"

Videl shrugged, the gesture maddenly indifferent and only a bit apologetic. "I thought it was just a rumor. You've been telling me to stop being so suspicious and paranoid you know." She threw the last bit out there like it was _Rini's_ fault for everything.

Rini felt several things all at once: pride for Videl for this particular character growth; immense inconvenience; and rage to the point that she wanted to smack Videl. " _Ah_! This exact reason is when you're _supposed_ to tell me. And Helios probably knew too. Some advisor he is."

Rini sank to the carpet and scrubbed at her eyes again until she felt her body go sideways, her cheek hitting the plush carpet. She opened her eyes in time to see Videl's foot retreat back to its proper standing spot. Rini scowled.

"He probably knew, yeah," Videl said as she went to the couch and sat on it, crossed legged. "He's probably teaching you a lesson. You should ask him about it sometime."

Rini, face still mushed into the carpet, mumbled, "believe me, I will."

She closed her eyes again and breathed in deep, letting the last of her nerves slip out of her slowly, until the past hour's events replayed and everything came back to her, from the moment she tread her feet on Capsule Corp's grass to when she burst out of the glass window...a giggle slipped through her lips, followed by another almost immediately until her arms covered her gaping giggling mouth.

"Oh great, you actually lost it."

" _Shut up_ ," Rini hiccuped. "This is a complete shit show. Vegeta looked _pissed_. Like, his _eyes_."

"Who's Vegeta?"

"He did more damage than I did," Rini giggled some more, because somehow being the most awkward escape artist warranted this. "Aside from the window."

"Do I need to do damage control?"

"Only for my wreck of a life," Rini snorted. "Why am I _so bad_ at this. I'm supposed to be a pro."

"Maybe you're out of practice?"

" _Saiyaman_ kept his identity the longest…" Abruptly, Rini's giggle fit ceased and she cracked her eyes opened and rolled her head toward Videl. "Shit."

A dark shadow and a deadly calm fell over Videl as she leaned forward, her arms gripping both sides of the couch. "What happened?"

If Videl meant to intimidate Rini into spilling any secrets, it didn't happen. When once Rini might have felt a chill run through her, now she merely rolled her eyes. But, bravado or not, she still had to look away as a red flush seeped through face because of what Gohan had seen.

"Gohan saw me. Transform, I mean. He saw it."

Videl blinked one long and slow blink, her eyes snapping open to land on Rini in the most judgey way possible. "Wow. You really _are_ bad at this. That's...everyone so far. I bet even Erasa knows at this point."

" _Shut up_."

"But about Gohan...I have my own suspicions about him." If Videl wanted to shock Rini, she picked the wrong battle with which to do it.

"He's probably totally Saiyaman," Rini mumbled at the ceiling. Videl didn't say anything, only nodded.

"He wants me to trust him," Rini continued, her voice suddenly hollow and probing, testing the words on her tongue. "He told me after the arcade and then Saiyaman said almost the same thing and...I need ice cream for this."

Rini pushed herself off the carpet and shuffled into the dark kitchen, ignoring Videl's protests that it was two in the morning and therefore way too late to be stuffing her face with sugary cream. The container was front and center in the freezer so Rini grabbed it and two spoons and returned to the couch, plopping down hard and close enough to Videl to jostle her. Rini held a spoon out to her friend, meeting her eyes with a look that was the height of seriousness.

"If we're going to talk about dumb boys, we're going to do it properly."

Videl rolled her eyes but took the spoon anyway.

* * *

When Rini opened her eyes the next morning, she groaned. Flopped over. Groaned again. The sun was blindingly bright through her windows, heralding a fresh new start of the day, but she felt far from fresh.

Her eyes were felt crusty, dry from tears she didn't even remember or was even conscious of shedding. And she, her body and mind, felt heavy from dreams she didn't remember creating, though the weight of them was familiar. She was always dreaming of something; her experiences in life didn't just go away because of a fleeting moment of peace.

And this? This was fleeting. It had been two days since the last demon attack and...all that occurred there. Almost a week since Ren's appearance on the playing field. Something was coming and this was the calm that preceded it.

Rini rolled over and checked her phone on the night stand; several new messages blinked to life, all from Gohan.

 _Rini,_ please, _can we talk?_

 _Bulma wants to know why you were at Capsule Corp._

 _I swear I won't tell anyone, you know._

 _Goten says hi._

 _Rini, did you turn your phone off?_

Rini stared at the messages, her stomach twisting for just a second when Bulma's name appeared because, _crap_ , she was going to have to explain that. The mention of Goten...it was so normal, so mundane, that her _heart_ of all things twisted because of how lovely the normality felt. Mixed in with the panicked pleading, it was a small gem that she couldn't resist.

 _Hi Goten :)_

And then she turned off her phone, before Gohan or Goten could lure her back. It was Sunday. She could afford to ignore her problems for just one more day.

The problem was...her problems always managed to greet her in some fashion. As was the case when she strode to the kitchen, intent on some overly sugared coffee, and stopped dead in the living room when she found Videl sitting on the couch.

Whatever she watched left Videl in rapture, that intense glare of hers fixed unmoving as someone yelled and lights flashed on the screen. It was the yelling that caught Rini's attention, followed by explosions. She took a few more steps so she could face the TV fully. She frowned.

"Is this movie a hundred years old? What's with the terrible graphics?"

Rini squinted at the TV but couldn't really make out a clear idea of what was happening. The camera was shaking and the footage was grainier than the beach. It broke up a lot. She looked back at Videl; she didn't _look_ like the type who was into art house movies…

Videl was swift to roll her eyes, looking offended as she did. "It's the Cell Games."

Rini blinked. "Oh." And she continued into the kitchen. She prepared her coffee, thankful that Videl had left some in the pot already, and when she turned back around, she found Videl staring at her. " _What_?"

It was several moments before Videl answered her. Rini stood, under her quiet scrutiny, sipping her coffee, her brows rising ever higher in indignancy.

"What's with you," came Videl's answer.

Rini's brows made their official acquaintance with her hairline. "Um?"

Again, it was several moments before Videl said anything, her eyes narrowing. Something else exploded on TV, there was more yelling and...was that a bunch of green children flying around?

"Did you know that the Cell Games were basically the end of the world seven years ago," Videl finally said, quiet reverence coating the words. "These crazy androids came and destroyed a few cities, killed _thousands_ of people, and then this weird green psycho shows up and does _worse_ damage and challenged us to a tournament. So he could kill us. _For fun_."

"I've heard the story, yes," Rini carefully answered as something terrible started twisting her insides.

Videl scoffed and shook her head. She turned back to the TV. "See, that's the problem. You heard the story but you don't actually _know_." She gestured at the flashing screen, with all its explosions and screaming, which twisted Rini's stomach more. "This was our life seven years ago. It was my dad's life and it became _my_ life. And it hasn't really ended for me since then and it keeps _changing_. It's crazy to me that you can be so blase about it all."

Rini stared down at her mug, biting her lip, feeling that weird twisting within her as Videl's words sunk in. It opened up a pit she usually tried to ignore, the hollowed result of her own life. Videl got it right: it never ended, it was always present, changing sometimes, but always with her. She sighed and crossed the living room, sinking onto the couch beside Videl.

"I don't mean to be. I was just wasn't here," Rini said, "and then I had my own problems to deal with but…" A memory surfaced, unbidden from what seemed years ago but was only a few weeks.

 _Where you at the Cell Games?_

 _I was there…_

Rini blanched and almost dropped her mug. Those words...said by Saiyaman on a rooftop. She flicked her eyes to the TV screen, just in time to see a small form, a boy with blonde hair and no older than ten or eleven. The puzzle pieces, some that she didn't even remember collecting, fell into place. Gohan's secrets, his age, Saiyaman's presence at the Cell Games...Gohan's pleading for someone to understand whatever it was in his life he needed to hide…

Rini gripped her mug tight, using the warmth of the liquid within to ground her. "Can we watch from the beginning?"

Rini almost regretted this decision when she immediately spotted the crazy demon man from the night before. Vegeta, Gohan called him. Of course he was there; she only got a small taste of his energy but he obviously harbored vast stores of it given the ease with which he carried himself.

Videl, of course, missed nothing. "What is it?" When Rini didn't answer, choosing instead to just stare at her mug again, she kicked her. " _What_?"

Rini sighed and gestured at the TV. "That's Vegeta. The one with the forehead."

Videl bolted straight up, her flailing limbs knocking into Rini, who kicked her right back. " _What_? Do you know anyone else?"

Rini shook her head. "No. Just him and the Scouts."

Videl looked far from disappointed though. She sank back into the couch cushions with a bright, pleased gleam in her eyes. A satisfied smile. "I've spent seven years trying to figure out who they are. It's the biggest conspiracy theory in the world."

"Oh no," Rini deadpanned. "I sense questions."

And Videl indeed _did_ have questions. Dozens of them, most of which Rini couldn't answer because " _I wasn't there, Videl_ " or...she had to look away because those were her friends, dying. Worst footage in existence or no, there was no mistaking what happened. But still, Videl seemed far from frustrated by Rini's ignorance in the Games.

"You need to talk to Gohan," she said, a spark of excitement radiating at some possibility Rini didn't want to ask about simply because she did _not_ want to talk to Gohan. "Find out if he knows any of the other guys."

That sick feeling was back in Rini. She glanced at the screen, at the small boy who trembled before Cell but still fought with a courage that Rini knew all too well.

"Videl," she said quietly, something _else_ coming to mind, something that bothered her because it seemed _awfully_ important now. "What will you do when you meet the person why _actually_ defeated Cell?"

"Punch him," was the immediate answer. Rini coughed. "But also thank him...it's complicated."

Rini nodded in understanding; it was a meetings she both wanted to witness and run from. But, her mouth twitched into a smile, she was definitely more interested in witnessing it. She tilted her head back and let the smile spread fully, imagining that meeting. No secrets between them all. Just...normality in being extraordinary.

Videl made a small noise and Rini glanced back at the TV, where something enormous exploded and the screen went white with released power. "I wonder what that much power must feel like."

Rini, who had felt something like it before, felt it sear into her soul, whispered, "like a supernova."

* * *

It was Videl who was responsible for getting Rini to school the next day. Amid protests and threats and some physical violence, Rini was dragged out from the safety of her apartment. Videl was close at hand, literally, to keep Rini from straying into an alley that led away from the school and back to her apartment or the arcade. Rini's forearm sported a rather large bruise by the time the two girls stepped through the school gate.

It wasn't that she wanted to ditch school and therefore ruin her education and endure the wrath of her parents and everyone back in Crystal Tokyo...it was that, yes, she wanted to ditch school, never come back and go through _all_ of the aforementioned trouble because she didn't want to face Gohan.

When it came to confessions, secrets were easier, if only for this. She could hide behind the secrets because the simple fact of the matter was this: she was a coward who didn't want to admit being a superhero in a mini skirt to a cute boy.

"I just want to let you know," Rini said as Videl pulled her through the crowded corridors with a strength that still surprised her, "that I hate you."

"Should'a thought about that before you doned the mini skirt."

Rini repeated her declaration once more for good measure.

They neared their classroom and each step toward it felt like jelly as a bout of nerves overcame Rini. It wasn't like she could comfort herself by saying _it's okay, Gohan probably won't be there_ , like every other ki-ignorant person could. No, she could definitely sense him, he was definitely in his seat, probably just as ill-rested as she was and eager to explain himself or whatever.

Rini dug her heels into the linoleum floor, planting herself firmly into the middle of the corridor. Several of her classmates bumped into her and Videl yanked on her arm so hard it caused a shock of pain to rip through her. But still, Rini refused another step forward.

"Oh. My. God," Videl growled as she moved around Rini and their glaring classmates and pushed against the princess's unbudging back. "You can't. Avoid this. Forever."

"I so can," Rini breathed, shaking her hands out. A few pink sparks released from them, betraying her use of the crystal to keep her in place. "You have no idea how well I can avoid this. Several other planets would be more than willing to host me in a royal visit."

"If you don't go in," Videl ground out with another push, "I'll tell Erasa about Helios but I'll make it a salacious romance."

Rini actually gasped, despite herself. " _You wouldn't_."

"Rini?"

Rini was already frozen in place but she still felt the ice run through her veins. The air in her lungs rushed out, leaving her hollow and weightless and exposed because there was Gohan, walking out of the classroom, brow drawn together in caution, like she was a scared animal about to flee.

Gohan took another step forward, their classmates seemingly opening a path for him, though they continued on with their conversations, oblivious. She heard Videl mutter something about popcorn and that little comment was all it took for Rini to blink, spell broken.

With lightening quick reflexes, she twisted out of Videl's path and bolted down the corridor, her footsteps echoing in her ears which roared from her pounding heart. Her heard Gohan cry out for her, heard several teachers reprimand her for running, and even more classmates squawk indignantly when she shoved past them, but they didn't stop her.

Rini ran the whole length of the school; she knew Gohan was chasing after her. It was in the small commotion a few seconds after she sped past, when he no doubt also ran into classmates and dodged teachers.

All the while, there were so many chances for freedom. So many exits she ran past but ignored; so many windows she could have jumped out of but shook her head at. Even the crystal, which thrummed at her panic.

It wouldn't matter. Gohan was in chase; he had obviously made the decision to talk to her and would probably follow her even if she teleported away. He was done waiting and maybe she should be too.

Wasn't this what she had wanted, no secrets? And what had she told herself last night?

Normality in being extraordinary. So why was she running, why…

She slowed to a stop outside of the gym and stared at the large metal doors before her. Somehow, she managed to breathe steady, which was maybe a comfort because the question still pulsed through her.

Why was she running? It was only Gohan and he…

She turned just in time to see him rounding the corner, also unfazed by their jog through the school. He stopped and regarded her carefully again, his eyes wide and she bit back a rueful smile.

"You were supposed to be normal," she breathed because there it was.

Extraordinary was fine, she supposed, but Gohan wasn't supposed to be. She had never had that; all of her friendships were hewn from the circumstance of her birth and her status as a Scout. Never had she had something that was completely her own. Ordinary. A pleasant escape from the grand, and often times grim, reality of her life.

Gohan hadn't confirmed it but it was so obvious now that he was Saiyaman, so obvious that she felt a shred of betrayal slice through her heart even though she had done exactly what he had, even joked about it.

Rini had felt the power he possessed; he was far from ordinary and, well, it hurt. Not because he did the lying, but because the universe was unfair with sort of stuff. Of course it would send her a friend like Gohan.

"I'm totally normal," Gohan said, taking a few steps forward, taking her halted run as a sign that she wouldn't go further. Rini crossed her arms and quirked a brow. Gohan rolled his eyes. "I mean, okay, I have powers like flying and super strength and all that. And sure, I ride around on a golden cloud sometimes."

" _You_ got Nimbus?"

" _And_ most of my friends have died more than once."

" _Totally_ normal."

"But," Gohan said, stopping a few feet away and looking down at her with a small smile. "My mom nags me about homework and chores. And my brother throws wicked temper tantrums. _And_ I had to fill out a financial aid form for university yesterday."

"Brutal," she whispered, though his mundane confessions slowed her heart just a fraction.

"So, I'm practically as boring as you," he continued, sunlight from the windows along the corridors illuminating his face. Rini was once again struck by how deep the brown in his eyes ran. "Videl said you like cooking shows. And don't think I haven't seen those trashy romance novels in your bag. I honestly thought you had better taste."

Any charitable thought Rini held for Gohan flew out of her brain and she scowled. "Whatever. Your eyes are like mud."

Gohan blinked and a look of utter confusion flashed over his face so fast it was almost cute. Oh, who was she kidding, it was definitely cute. But his smile was back, tentative, and he jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "How about a milkshake? We can talk about superhero stuff. Or the time my mom made my dad get his license so he could drive her to the grocery store. Pretty normal."

It was a peace offering and she swallowed, biting her lip as she thought about what _he_ was offering. What had he said? There was no one her age to talk to about this stuff. He _trusted_ her and...and maybe he was silently pleading for her to take the leap. So he wouldn't be alone, either.

They were both capable of shining like a supernova but all the times between? Normal.

Rini smiled. "You're paying."

* * *

Hello~

I am still alive. It's been a crazy summer; school's was out so my desk hours were reduced. Then I went home to the States and came back to Japan a week later where I suffered severe jet lag but had to present/do panels at a work conference. Things are leveling out though, so fingers crossed I can get back to writing.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and thanks for reading! Oh, and for funsies, you can find me on Tumblr at tsukibeamfics. I'ma be honest: it's mostly a trash can for FFXV stuff but come say hi if you want.


	16. Milkshake Therapy Part Two

In her time as a teenager, and even before, Rini had skipped out on school a fair number of times. Sometimes life just simply called for it, be it a bad test score, problems at home, or nosey people at school making things difficult. Rini didn't mind taking a mental health day every once in awhile.

It was still super weird though, being out of school in broad day light, right at the start. She felt open and exposed and more than a little off balance.

It was made even weirder by Gohan walking right next to her. Rini kept her arms crossed over body, pulling herself away from him and looking pointedly at the ground, counting the little specks of gravel in the concrete to keep her mind from wandering.

Mercifully, probably because he sensed that she wasn't _quite_ ready for talking, Gohan didn't say anything. He just led the way to the arcade and kept a safe distance from her, though still close enough that...well, she could definitely get away, but his close-but-not-close presence was still an anchor.

Rini wanted this. Or, she told herself she did. Because she was still following him, right? She hadn't fled and that was important.

It was sort of lucky in a way that the arcade was even open this early in the morning. Ryo gave them both questioning looks but he didn't stop them from going to their usual booth. Rini was even proud of herself for resisting giving him _please save me_ eyes.

The booth vinyl groaned as she slid in, and the table was an uncomfortable mix of cold and moist as she rested her arms on it. She took a breath and looked up, presenting Gohan with her best attempt at a sunny smile.

"Okay, bring it on," she said, ignoring the fact that she still couldn't _fully_ look at him, only the side of his face and definitely not his eyes, "let's compare notes. Give me your life story- _are_ you an alien?"

"Um." Gohan looked away, laughing nervously.

Rini's eyes widened and only then did she actually look at him. "Oh my god, you totally are."

"No, no," Gohan cut in eagerly, "my dad was. He was a Saiyan."

Rini titled her head, doing her best not to look too freaked out. This was _weird_. "Saiyans? I've never heard of them."

"Yeah, their planet was on the other side of the galaxy."

Rini blinked. " _Was_?"

"Er. Yeah. They were blown up because…" Gohan stopped, shook his head and continued. "It's a long story. Probably movie length. Anyway my dad was sent here as a baby to take over the world but he forgot his mission. We didn't even know he was Saiyan until his brother kidnapped me."

Okay. Weird didn't even begin to _cover_ it. Rini nodded, a little dazed as she did her best to unpack everything he spilled but, _well_. Life was a lie, walls were being broken down and, "why are you _smiling_?"

Gohan pursed his lips, obviously trying to keep himself in check. "I'm not! Okay, I am. It's just that I don't really get to talk about this stuff and you look like a frightened deer."

Rini kicked him. "Yeah well. Secrets have been _ingrained_ in me. Key word being _secret_."

And, _gosh_ , the little encouraging smile that Gohan gave her pulled at her and she bit her lip but couldn't look away from it. It felt safe, especially when he said, "it feels good to let it out."

Rini remembered it had, when she and Videl were at Ren's in that dingy basement. Letting go of her training, trusting in a friend, and falling on that foundation when things-the demon attack, Capsule Corp the other night-got bad. It was...well, her apartment didn't feel so lonely anymore. Rini thought of yesterday morning; they were just two girls sharing a relaxing morning on the couch watching shitty TV...that just happened to be a bunch of guys saving the world.

Talking about hard stuff was, well, _hard_ , but...once she got started, with a little bit of practice, she'd be fine, right?

Rini took a breath, giving her secrets one more second to be hers, and let it out in one _whoosh_ as she delved right in. "I'm half Lunarian, sort of. They were wiped out over a thousand years ago by the Dark Kingdom and my parents and all of the Scouts were killed as well but were reincarnated. They were reawakened about a hundred years ago-you know basic history-and I was sent back to train under them."

Truth _bomb_. Rini froze when she finished, eyes wide and staring at Gohan. They both looked in disbelief and Rini wanted very much for the Earth to swallow her because Gohan was just _silent_ and the longer that happened, the more outlandish it all was.

It was something she never really considered before: it was always a fact of her life and shared by everyone else she knew. She never really had a chance to look at it with an outsider's perspective. From this angle it was just...no wonder she had so many trust issues-how did someone _respond_ to that?

Anyone else might edge away from the booth, declare her crazy, but Gohan apparently only needed a moment for it all to sink in. Because a second later he was leaning in, eyes bright with interest. Rini blinked, and leaned away, a bit warm from how close he was.

They both opened their mouths at the same time.

"What's with the crazy strength?"

"What's the pink sparkles? How can you teleport?"

Rini tucked a lock of hair behind her ear as she slowly smiled, Gohan sharing in it. She turned around in the booth and called out to Ryo, "two extra-everything milkshakes. Yes, I know what time it is, don't give me your judgement," and then turned back around to Gohan.

She had questions, so many questions, and she opened her mouth to spill them, but Gohan beat her to it. "Your turn to go first."

Rini scowled, rolled her eyes. She reached a hand in her subspace pocket, dug around for a second, and pulled out her transformation brooch. Gohan leaned even closer over the table as she cradled it in her hands. She could feel its faint aura of power; it thrummed straight to her heart, and she smiled at it the jewels sparkling in the sunlight.

Her life was forever changed the second she was given this brooch, and it changed as much as she had through the years, but...it was part of her, and she was proud of what it, she, had become.

Rini carefully opened it for Gohan to see; the pink crystal glimmered, even released actual pink sparkles. "Every Sailor Scout has a Star Seed, the life of their planet, within them. As long as the Star Seed lives, she lives. This is mine, for Earth, because I'm Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask's kid. The crystals have tremendous power but _this_ one is special. It's uh, kind of the most powerful crystal in the galaxy, _no big deal_."

It was a huge deal obviously-the most powerful deal, in fact, and the awe that was in Gohan's face showed that he knew it too. He reached out to touch it but footsteps sounded behind them and Rini snapped it closed and drew it out of sight just as Ryo arrived with their milkshakes.

They were monstrosities, dripping down the sides of the glass, overloaded with sprinkles, whipped cream and more cherries than was appropriate. They were perfect. Rini gave a very enthusiastic thanks to Ryo, who beamed a smile back at her, and she dug in. But not before demanding Gohan answer her question.

And he did. Rini decided very quickly that she was very jealous of his Saiyan genes, while he expressed the same for her teleporting.

"My dad knew how," he said, "but he died before he could teach any of us."

"What a jerk," she replied and then froze because that was his _dad_ and he very clearly loved the guy, but Gohan just laughed.

"Actually Vegeta's sort of the jerk in the group," he said, tapping his spoon against the glass of his milkshake sheepishly. "I'm sure you noticed."

" _Yeah_ ," Rini said loudly, stomach dropping and face heating for the coming conversation. She wished she had more milkshake to distract herself with but, well, she sort of devoured it. She opted for sinking into her side of the booth instead and folding her arms across herself. "What's that about?"

"Vegeta's very protective."

"No shit."

Gohan's smile slipped and he looked down at his now empty milkshake glass and Rini knew what was coming, the track they were on. She braced herself with a intake of breath and met Gohan's eyes when he looked up back.

"So, about that night."

Rini flushed bright red as the memory flooded back to her and she lulled her head back against the booth and slid a bit further down. Gohan, at least, looked vaguely amused, and she shook her head. "Where do I start?"

"Why didn't you ask me for help?" It was a good question, even with it dipped in hurt that flashed through Gohan's eyes.

"I'm working on that," she answered, and looked behind her; there was no one else in the arcade and Ryo was busy playing a game on his phone. Rini leaned forward, poked at Gohan's rock hard arms to make room for her, and he did. "My dad's advisor came to visit me the other day. _That's_ also a long story, we have so much to catch up on."

All it took was one look from Gohan, ready and willing, and she sighed. "Okay, fine, from the _beginning_."

An hour later, they had a pile of papers, all color coded and marked, and filled with various arrows, scribbles and boxes. Rini suspected they might be the nerdiest looking set of superhero notes but she quite liked them. She liked that Gohan was organized, that he was the one to pull out a notebook to keep track of everything.

Because it was _a lot_ of stuff. Of course they didn't _just_ talk about the whole _whatever_ was happening in the city. There was more to it. Transformations on both sides-hers with magic and brooches, his with sheer power; a whole brigade of special fighters; reincarnation; magic wishes...

"I can't believe you blew up the moon," she outright _glared_ at him when he let that slip.

" _I_ didn't," and Gohan _did_ look sorry. "And it was the only way to stop me from destroying, like, _everything_."

"Pretty sure the Scouts would have handled it." She didn't ease up her glare. "That was our summer home, you know."

"It's back now," as if that fixed it.

" _Yeah_ , because of _us_."

The look at the Gohan gave her...it was wondering, curious and just openly happy. Rini wanted to duck away from it, sudden shyness overcoming her from the weight of it. She poked his arm instead, wondering now if he _actually_ felt pain from it. Probably not.

"Okay, so go over everything."

Gohan's face immediately went academic, serious and concentrated. She almost giggled but forced herself to adapt the same look, shoulders and back straight. When Gohan caught her eye, she actually did giggle.

"Right. So, a few hundred years ago, this evil alien spirit came to Earth via an accidental portal created by Dr. Tomoe. The spirit possessed him and tried to take over the world by planting seeds in people and collecting their energy. You guys defeated him, Sailor Pluto sealed the spirit away, but it's back because of _another_ lab accident portal, the burning building from a few weeks ago. Traces of the spirit is possessing the people it came in contact with-the Capsule Corps employees. And you need their classified information to track them down and heal them before they become demons."

"Bingo," Rini said and then tapped another paper. "And then?"

"Your father's advisor came to tell you to be a team player and you made Videl your official police liaison to mitigate PR stuff."

Rini nodded and said, "you're a very good student, Mr. Son."

"All thanks to my mom," he replied. "She was determined to give me a normal childhood."

"What are you saying?" Rini tucked her chin into a palm and leaned her elbow on the table, giving him a coy smile. "Transforming and beating baddies up was part of _my_ childhood? Is that not normal?"

"Between _us_ , sure."

Yeah, Rini could almost pretend that it was. All through their talk, with the way Gohan didn't shy away from things, just accepted them and asked the next question, it was nice. It felt easy and...she felt the pull of where their conversation had turned, the implications, and it was enough for her smile to drop, to blink at the slight crack in their reality.

"Gohan? You killed Cell, didn't you?" How did _that_ feel? Being so young and saving the world? At least Rini hadn't been alone.

Maybe he felt what she did too because his smile was also gone. He was staring at the table, at their lovely notes mixed with milkshake remnants. A touch of sorrow settled into his features. She didn't know much about him, not yet, but she knew _enough_ and...it wasn't hard to figure out what actually happened that day, what it resulted in.

Rini wanted to reach a hand out, find his, because when he nodded, her heart broke a little for him. "He didn't come back?"

Gohan shook his head. "He said it was better this way, so he wouldn't attract more powerful enemies."

"I'm sorry," she said.

Her hand didn't move and she...what else could she say? They were in an _arcade_ and talking about saving the world and his dead dad and...she remembered the footage she watched with Videl yesterday. The raw, white energy she had practically felt through the years old video. She had felt a miniscule fraction of what that must have felt like throughout the past few weeks. But now there wasn't a trace. Just a boy who missed his dad.

"Rini?"

She blinked out of her thoughts and met his eyes, still heavy but knowing. "Why can't you look at the demons?"

Rini looked away. She felt so small; Gohan's close presence, leaning together over the table and whispering secrets, was like a cocoon. She felt safe with him, somehow.

Outside, it was a gorgeous day. The leaves on the small trees lining the city streets were finally yellowing, swaying gently on a crisp breeze. A city waiting for a nightmare, waiting for her to save it from that nightmare.

"Because the darkness is terrifying," she whispered, "and I'm not going back."

And she told him, in whispered tones, what she had told Videl. About the cauldron, about her father, and about the strange in between she had been trapped in. It was different than in Ren's cell. Back then it felt necessary in the name of burying the hatchet with Videl. It was quick and dirty, with veiled hints of blackmail. And now it felt...well, her face was definitely wet, and she sniffled and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, pretending Gohan wasn't staring the whole time.

The booth beside her groaned again and dipped from settling weight. In the window's faint reflection, right next to hers, Gohan appeared, and her hand was enveloped by his larger, sturdier one.

This one little gesture brought forth more tears and she suddenly realized how much she missed her family. The closeness, the hugs...kicking and nudging her friends wasn't enough, she missed _this_ , enough that she regretted not reaching for Gohan earlier. She squeezed his hand and slumped against his side.

Gohan was _warm_ , like the kind that was a perfect for winter, practically a space heater. She felt like a cat seeking that warmth; she shifted, pressing a bit closer, and then giggled, despite everything.

"What?"

Rini giggled again, and sucked in a breath as she wiped at her face with her other arm. "You're so uncomfortable. Too much muscle."

"Hey!" And he looked properly offended in his reflection. Rini giggled again. "I worked hard on these."

"Did you really?" She tore her gaze from the window and to the table and poked at her milkshake glass. "Because you might be cheating with your genes. What's like lifting cars?"

With his free hand, Gohan scratched the back of his head, looking very sheepish and a bit pink. "I have to be careful not to punch everything I touch. What's up with Sailor Moon? And Tuxedo Mask? Where are they?"

"Retired," Rini said slowly. She looked up at him and hesitated. A moment of truth coming and going. It had been so easy with Videl but with Gohan… "can I tell you later?"

Despite his obvious curiousness, and how he took a moment to answer himself, Gohan still nodded. "Sure but...you trust me, right?"

And dammit, there was a little lump in her throat when she thought of that answer and the fact that she was still slumped against him, her hand still in his, because, "yeah, I do. Thank you."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, Rini leaching comfort from Gohan, her thoughts drifting back to her family. She missed them. Seeing Helios the other day...it was strange, someone from her other world showing up in this city, but it wasn't exactly unwelcome. She missed their banter; she missed everyone's banter, and the team they had been, her own issues aside.

And...her parents. They were obviously keeping track of her, if they sent Helios, but it was at a distance, a respectful one that showed they were trying to give her space, but...oh holy crystals, she still missed them.

"Um," she said, and sat up from Gohan, a thought appearing and then _sticking_ in her head. Gohan blinked at her. "I'll be right back, just gonna make a call."

Gohan was nice enough not to comment on her probably splotchy face as he nodded and untangled his hand from hers and got up with an apology. Rini paused as she was getting out of the booth, wanting to tell him not to apologize because it had felt nice, but the courage left her at the last moment so she settled for stumbling out of the booth instead.

Rini waved at Ryo as she passed him behind the counter and dug her phone from her purse...and promptly scowled at it because it was _exploding_ with texts, most of them from Erasa. _Of course_.

Outside, she skimmed through some of them, going through a whole saga as she did. The first couple asked if she was okay, then why she left school, then _for real are you okay_? At some point, she must have noticed that Gohan was also missing because the texts became, _is Gohan with you?_ And then, _omg are you two on a date_? And, even worse, _text me your outfit_! _You didn't wear pink did you, you know that clashes with your hair_!

Rini was bright red, another definite clash, as she skimmed through the rest, her heart stuttering to a stop at _do you need kissing advice_? She glanced up at the window, where Gohan was sitting and looking through their notes with that academic look of his, completely oblivious as to what she was dealing with.

Her phone flashed another message: _Ditching third period-where are you_? _I'm armed with make up and diagrams_.

Rini almost wailed in distress as she quickly typed back, _NOT A DATE. NOT A DATE._

She didn't want to think about what the diagrams were for. She shuddered as she thought of what they could _be_ and her red flush went deeper as she looked back into the arcade and spotted him on his phone, which made her remember why she came out here in the first place.

What a train wreck, she shook her head as she dialed the number.

Serena Tsukino had had a great life; reincarnated moon princess, savior of the world several times over, queen of the planet and moon...and yet she still answered her daughter's phone call on the second ring.

" _Rini_ ," Serenity's mellifluous voice said over the phone, thousands of miles away. She sounded pleased, relieved even, and Rini's stupid throat closed up _again_.

"Hi Mama."

And bless the moon queen, she sensed whatever Rini was feeling right away. "Your father and I have missed you very much, little bunny."

Rini smiled at the nickname. "Is he there?"

There was a rustling and a moment later, her father's voice came through, "shouldn't you be in school?"

Rini glanced at Gohan again. "Um…"

It was silent on the other end, and then her mother's giggle. "Don't drink too many milkshakes."

Rini laughed because even though her parents had grown _so much_ since becoming king and queen and it had been _decades_ since their own school days, they still _knew_ her and how they skipped school _with_ her, and that was what made her eyes burn. "I miss you guys."

"We're here, Rini," her mother reminded her, and it was a reminder Rini really needed to hear. Even if she knew it, hearing it was the better confirmation.

"Whenever you need us," her father agreed.

Rini sighed and nodded to herself, her parents giving her that small moment to absorb that information. "Um. I'm sort of busy but maybe I can call later? Talk more?"

"You're skipping school and blowing your beloved parents off because you're _busy_ ," King Endymion mused.

"Is our little bunny on a date," Queen Serenity finished, obvious delight in her voice.

Rini scowled and turned away from the window so she wouldn't have to see Gohan's stupid cute face as she said, " _not a date_."

Her parent's responding laughs told her that they very much did not believe her and she groaned. " _Guuuuys_ , it's not. Just...I'll tell you later. I gotta go though."

"Whatever you say, Rini," her mother laughed and after moment said, "I love you."

Her father repeated the sentiment and even though she sort of wanted to melt into the ground, she still ended the call with, "love you too."

Erasa had messaged her a few more times, asking if she was _really_ fine, but Rini ignored them. She smiled at her phone instead, a giddy sort of feeling spreading from her core to everywhere between. She just felt lighter after the call, short though it was.

The crisp autumn breeze played at Rini's hair and she swept it into her hands, working it all into a braid as she went back inside, smile still tugging at her lips. She definitely had small, stupid hop to her step.

Of course, that all disappeared when she reached Gohan and he looked up at her with slightly frightened eyes. He worried at his lips and he tried for something that was a lighthearted smile but looked a little too tight.

"Oh no," she stopped, didn't even sit down. "Who called you?"

"Bulma," he answered, and he looked sort of traumatized now, "she wants us to come over."

Well. So much for the weight off her shoulders.

* * *

 _Well_. I could go on and on about the benefits of platonic intimacy but for now I'll settle with _I'm so sorry_. I promise I haven't dropped off the face of the planet, I'm alive, I'm writing (other things) and...yeah. I'm getting so close to the end that I just can't abandon this fic. It's my baby and I'll see it through to the end...which I estimate will be another four or five chapters.

Good news is I'm doing NaNoWriMo, but rather than doing a traditional 50k novel, I'm just shooting for the 50k in whatever. I've scheduled in a few chapters of this and a few other projects. My goal is to finish this fic by the end of the year. Fingers crossed!

If you've read this, thanks so much for sticking around. I love you guys, for going on this self indulgent trip with me^^

PS, if you want to bug me, you can find me (and my FFXV trash blog) on Tumblr: tsukibeamfics


End file.
